The Crime Investigation Department (CID) of Gujarat has filed a case against 19 individuals, including former police officials, for the alleged kidnapping and extortion of a firm employee in Kutch district. The case has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including criminal breach of trust, cheating, voluntarily causing hurt, wrongful confinement and extortion, kidnapping and murder, along with other relevant provisions of the Arms Act. The CID’s investigation centres around allegations levelled by Parmanad Seerwani, a Gandhidham resident, who accused the owners of Electrotherm Limited and 11 others of kidnapping and extortion back in December 2015. The detailed involvement of the accused police officers has not been disclosed by the CID to avoid compromising the ongoing investigation.
The accused in the FIR include former SPs of Kutch (East) G.V. Barot and Bhavna Patel, DSPs R.D. Desai, D.S. Vaghela, V.J. Gadhvi, and Sub-Inspector N.K. Chauhan. The complaint also names Electrotherm Limited owners Shailesh Bhandari and Anurag Bhandari, alleging severe misconduct dating back to 2011 when Seerwani attempted to resign from the company. His resignation was not accepted, and subsequent events led to his alleged kidnapping, where he was reportedly coerced into signing away his property and valuables under duress.
The case came to light after the complainant and his wife’s persistent efforts to get an FIR registered against the accused. Following their appeal, the Gujarat High Court in October 2019 ordered the registration of an FIR. This decision was temporarily stayed by the Supreme Court until January 16 this year, paving the way for the current investigation.
The action came nearly a month after the Supreme Court removed a stay on the Gujarat High Court’s directive for the probe agency to proceed with the investigation. The case has sparked significant public interest and raised concerns about abuse of power and misconduct within law enforcement and corporate entities. The outcome of the ongoing investigation will likely have important implications for the legal and law enforcement landscape in Gujarat.
The case signifies a significant development in the ongoing battle for justice for the victim and highlights the importance of the judiciary’s role in ensuring swift and fair investigations into allegations of misconduct and abuse of power. The authorities must conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation to bring the truth to light and ensure that justice is served for all parties involved.
