India - Gujarat: Criminal charges needed against VMC officials

‘Criminal charges needed against VMC officials’
Express News Service
Date: 20 May 2006

Vadodara, May 19: The vice-president of the little-known Bazm-e-Aziz Charitable Trust, Mohammed Arif Sheikh, has sought permission from the Gujarat government to initiate criminal proceedings against mayor Sunil Solanki, municipal commissioner Rohit Pathak, Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) standing committee chairman Dinesh Choksi and police commissioner Deepak Swaroop for promoting ill-will between communities.

Sheikh’s request for action against these people under Sections 153 and 153 (A) of the Indian Penal Code, which pertain to promoting ill-will and enmity between different groups and communities, is also backed by the Peoples’ Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL),

A notice addressed to the state government’s chief secretary by the complainant’s lawyer Mukul Sinha said the offences committed by the accused were of a very serious nature, resulting in the loss of life and property of citizens, and hence a sanction be granted for initiating criminal proceedings against them.

The notice was circulated to mediapersons at a press conference addressed by the complainant at Shishu Milap’s office on Friday. The complainant was accompanied by PUCL activists Rohit Prajapati and Kirit Bhatt, besides some advocates from Ahmedabad, at the time of media briefing.

Sheikh said that authorities’ intention in pulling down the old dargah was malafide, and intended to promote disharmony and ill-will between Mulsims and Hindus.