Newly-elected NCP MLA in Gujarat thrashes political rival, police official at police station in Porbandar

Ahmedabad: Newly-elected NCP MLA in Gujarat, Kandhal Jadeja, was on Thursday arrested for alleged rioting and thrashing a police official in Porbandar district.

The MLA, son of ‘godmother’ late Santokben Jadeja, was arrested along with seven others for rioting, thrashing an official and damaging property at Ranavav police station in Porbandar during a poll-related scuffle, Superintendent of Police Shobha Bhutada said.

Kandhal Jadeja, his two brothers Karan Jadeja and Kana Jadeja, and around a dozen others allegedly barged into the Ranavav police station on Wednesday around 5 am and thrashed his political rival Samat Gogan, who had taken shelter there fearing attack by him and others.

“The accused beat up Gogan and the police station officer present there. They then created ruckus and damaged a telephone kept in the police station,” Ranavav’s police inspector ND Parmar said.

Jadeja was angry at Gogan over some issues related to the recent Assembly elections and was searching for him when the latter took refuge in the police station, Parmar said. Gogan had tried to contest as an independent candidate allegedly against the wishes of Jadeja but had later withdrawn his nomination form. However, the matter apparently did not end there leading to the attack, he said.

Jadeja and others were booked under IPC sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 504 (intentional insult), 427 (mischief causing damage), 332 (causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 186 (obstructing public servant), the police official said.

Jadeja, the only NCP member to have won the recent Assembly polls, was elected for the second time from Kutiyana constituency. He defeated BJP’s Lakhmanbhai Odedara by over 23,000 votes.