Praful Vaghela and Shantilal Vaghela, fathers of the two boys who died under mysterious circumstances after they went missing from the Asaram Ashram gurukul, have found support in far-off places like Bhetasi village in Anand district.
Jayanti Solanki from Bhetasi turned up to take part in a silent rally organised to demand justice for the Vaghelas on Wednesday, even as the police claim that the deaths are accidental. Solanki was not the only supporter at the rally, though. Thousands of people from the Ahmedabad city and the neighbouring districts attended the rally in support of the Vaghelas.
The Vaghelas are demanding that the investigations be handed over to an independent agency as, they believe their sons have been killed by someone from the ashram as part of some ‘black magic’ ritual. Praful and Shantilal are on indefinite hunger strike against the police investigation since July 14.
The rally started at 9.15 am from the Madhav Baug Society in Nirnay Nagar, residence of the Vaghelas, and culminated at the Gandhi Ashram. The route covered Vadaj, Naranpura, Sardar Patel Colony, Income Tax and Usmanpura, where people protested against the ashram authorities, the police and the state government.
The rally was led by motorcyclists followed by some vehicles like tractors. They were followed by the pedestrians, carrying placards and banners in Gujarati with slogans like Gunda Ashram Bandh Karo (stop the ashram of hooligans), Ashram Shala ke Tantrik Shala (a residential school or a school of exorcism), Gandhi na Gujarat ma Nyay nu Khoon (death of justice in Gandhi's Gujarat), Gulami Asaram ni Vote Janata na (votes of the public and slavery of Asaram) and Aje Amara Kale Tamara (today our sons, tomorrow it will be yours). Some placards even urged the Chief Minister who interprets ‘CM’ as Common Man, to wake up and take stock of thesituation.
The silent rally passed the entire route quietly with people wearing black bands on their wrists, arms and foreheads. But, near the Income Tax Crossroads, some unidentified persons took off the banners of the Asaram Ashram in view of the Guru Purnima celebrations at the ashram premises at Motera. But the situation soon calmed down as the rally progressed. The city police had a tough time controlling the rally and maintaining the smooth flow of traffic on the roads. The police personnel on duty seemed quite tense as the cars of senior police officers were also plying on the rally route.
Around noon, the rally reached the main gates of the Gandhi Ashram. Initially the police did not allow the people to go inside, but some women came forward and opened the gate, saying that nobody could stop them from going inside Bapu’s ashram.
Pankaj Patel from Nava Vadaj said: “I am an active worker of the BJ. But in this case, I must say that the government seem to be favouring the Asaram Ashram by doing injustice to the very people who have voted them to power.”
Hitendra Doriya from Geeta Mandir said he had come especially to pay homage to the two children. “The government should hand over the investigation to the CBI,” he said.
Prakash Kapadiya, president of the Jagega Gujarat Sangharsh Samiti, an NGO, announced a call for Ahmedabad Bandh on Friday, on the occasion. He said a number of organisations and individuals have supported the call. He also announced a dharna in front of the Asaram Ashram on July 20. The rally concluded with a recital of the national anthem near Hriday Kung.
Ashram officials lodge complaint with Commissioner
Meanwhile, authorities at the Asaram Ashram have sent a complaint to the Ahmedabad Police Commissioner over the tearing down of posters of the sect along the rally route and the use of foul language against their religious guru, Sant Asaram. They have said that the incidents have hurt them.
Mystery devotee undergoes lie-detection test
Sunil Banerjee, the Asaram devotee, who mysteriously disappeared after first reporting the sightings of the bodies on the Sabarmati riverbank on July 5, went through a lie-detection test on Wednesday, at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), in Gandhinagar. The Sabarmati police put Banerjee under the test to check whether he is involved in the death of the two minor students of the ashram run gurukul. Banerjee re-appeared before the city police this Monday. The FSL officials said that the test reports will be known soon. Meanwhile, some senior officials of the FSL also visited the spot from where the two bodies were found. “We went to the spot from where the two bodies were found and tried to understand the circumstances leading to the deaths of the two children. We are also trying to identify the route through which the children must have escaped on July 3,” said M S Dahiya, Deputy Director, FSL.
Courtesy : www.expressindia.com
Jayanti Solanki from Bhetasi turned up to take part in a silent rally organised to demand justice for the Vaghelas on Wednesday, even as the police claim that the deaths are accidental. Solanki was not the only supporter at the rally, though. Thousands of people from the Ahmedabad city and the neighbouring districts attended the rally in support of the Vaghelas.
The Vaghelas are demanding that the investigations be handed over to an independent agency as, they believe their sons have been killed by someone from the ashram as part of some ‘black magic’ ritual. Praful and Shantilal are on indefinite hunger strike against the police investigation since July 14.
The rally started at 9.15 am from the Madhav Baug Society in Nirnay Nagar, residence of the Vaghelas, and culminated at the Gandhi Ashram. The route covered Vadaj, Naranpura, Sardar Patel Colony, Income Tax and Usmanpura, where people protested against the ashram authorities, the police and the state government.
The rally was led by motorcyclists followed by some vehicles like tractors. They were followed by the pedestrians, carrying placards and banners in Gujarati with slogans like Gunda Ashram Bandh Karo (stop the ashram of hooligans), Ashram Shala ke Tantrik Shala (a residential school or a school of exorcism), Gandhi na Gujarat ma Nyay nu Khoon (death of justice in Gandhi's Gujarat), Gulami Asaram ni Vote Janata na (votes of the public and slavery of Asaram) and Aje Amara Kale Tamara (today our sons, tomorrow it will be yours). Some placards even urged the Chief Minister who interprets ‘CM’ as Common Man, to wake up and take stock of thesituation.
The silent rally passed the entire route quietly with people wearing black bands on their wrists, arms and foreheads. But, near the Income Tax Crossroads, some unidentified persons took off the banners of the Asaram Ashram in view of the Guru Purnima celebrations at the ashram premises at Motera. But the situation soon calmed down as the rally progressed. The city police had a tough time controlling the rally and maintaining the smooth flow of traffic on the roads. The police personnel on duty seemed quite tense as the cars of senior police officers were also plying on the rally route.
Around noon, the rally reached the main gates of the Gandhi Ashram. Initially the police did not allow the people to go inside, but some women came forward and opened the gate, saying that nobody could stop them from going inside Bapu’s ashram.
Pankaj Patel from Nava Vadaj said: “I am an active worker of the BJ. But in this case, I must say that the government seem to be favouring the Asaram Ashram by doing injustice to the very people who have voted them to power.”
Hitendra Doriya from Geeta Mandir said he had come especially to pay homage to the two children. “The government should hand over the investigation to the CBI,” he said.
Prakash Kapadiya, president of the Jagega Gujarat Sangharsh Samiti, an NGO, announced a call for Ahmedabad Bandh on Friday, on the occasion. He said a number of organisations and individuals have supported the call. He also announced a dharna in front of the Asaram Ashram on July 20. The rally concluded with a recital of the national anthem near Hriday Kung.
Ashram officials lodge complaint with Commissioner
Meanwhile, authorities at the Asaram Ashram have sent a complaint to the Ahmedabad Police Commissioner over the tearing down of posters of the sect along the rally route and the use of foul language against their religious guru, Sant Asaram. They have said that the incidents have hurt them.
Mystery devotee undergoes lie-detection test
Sunil Banerjee, the Asaram devotee, who mysteriously disappeared after first reporting the sightings of the bodies on the Sabarmati riverbank on July 5, went through a lie-detection test on Wednesday, at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), in Gandhinagar. The Sabarmati police put Banerjee under the test to check whether he is involved in the death of the two minor students of the ashram run gurukul. Banerjee re-appeared before the city police this Monday. The FSL officials said that the test reports will be known soon. Meanwhile, some senior officials of the FSL also visited the spot from where the two bodies were found. “We went to the spot from where the two bodies were found and tried to understand the circumstances leading to the deaths of the two children. We are also trying to identify the route through which the children must have escaped on July 3,” said M S Dahiya, Deputy Director, FSL.
Courtesy : www.expressindia.com