Jagdish Thakor’s name in land grab FIR: Congress targets govt, suspects role of cop

The Congress in Gujarat on Thursday targeted the BJP government and state police for the alleged inclusion of former state president and CWC member Jagdish Thakor’s name in an FIR – not as an accused — lodged at Adalaj police station in Gandhinagar in a land grabbing and abduction complaint.

The party also alleged that Jagdish Thakor’s was added as a third party in the case at the behest of a police officer, “who is facilitating land grabbing”.

The FIR was filed on October 21 based on a complaint filed by a woman claiming that her husband was abducted by three men over the sale of their land in August and that he hasn’t returned home since then.

The complainant, Kajal Popatji Thakor, 28, named three persons – Ravi Mansukh Thakor, Gabhu Babhu Rabari, and Baldev Rabari — as accused.

According to the complaint, she and her family members own a piece of land in Khoraj village and the family had decided to sell it to Ratilal Chaturdas Patel and Harishsinh Gohil.

The complaint stated, “One of the accused – Ravi Thakor— threatened us with dire consequences if we sell the land to others”. He also asked them, according to the complaint, to sell their land to Jagdish Thakor, the Congress leader. But her husband refused and went ahead with their earlier plan.

On August 29, the complainant stated they went to the sub-registrar office in Sector-11, Gandhinagar, to complete the registration of land. The three accused also arrived there and began threatening the complainant’s husband Popatji Cheharji Thakor and her brother Harshad Ramtuji Thakor. They then allegedly pulled the two men into a vehicle and drove away. They allegedly threatened the complainant not to go to the police or Popatji would lose his life.

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Later that night, the FIR stated the complainant’s brother Harshad returned home. When she asked him about Popatji, Harshad told her that he was asked to exit the vehicle near Vaishnodevi circle (on the border of Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad) and the accused persons had taken Popatji with them.

The three accused were booked under BNS sections for abduction and aggravated criminal intimidation.

Congress charge

Taking to X, AICC general secretary and Gujarat in-charge Randeep Surjewala said that the job of the police is to protect the law, not to act as a stooge of the ruling party.

“In the first Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation elections, the rattled Gujarat BJP government filed two false cases against our fellow MLA Jignesh Mevani. Then in Patan, they fabricated fake cases against Congress women leaders. Now, at the behest of a police officer, who is facilitating land grabbing, a completely fabricated case is being plotted against Congress’s former state president and CWC member, Jagdish Thakor. This has exposed the fear and politics of revenge festering in the BJP’s mind…,” he wrote on X.

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He also warned of a protest at the DGP’s office, stating “Congress will raise hell at the office of the head of the state police—the DGP—against this ongoing vendetta.”

In a statement on X, Jagdish Thakor, wrote, “You cannot intimidate, threaten, or bend Jagdish Thakor, who raises his voice for the rights and justice of poor farmers! Know the full truth… After raising questions about a land deal worth over Rs100 crore, a case was first registered against MLA Jignesh Mevani, and now Jagdish Thakor’s name has also been mentioned in the complaint. After all, why are Congress leaders being targeted for raising questions in such a serious land-related matter?”

Thakor added, “It is extremely important that the truth about the rights of poor farmers, justice, and this land-related case comes to light. Even if attempts are made to create pressure instead of answering the questions, raising the voice in a democratic manner will not stop… The fight for farmers’ rights and justice will continue!”