Ahmedabad Police Dismisses Togadia’s Claim, Gives Details Contrary To His Version Of Events

Dismissing claims made by Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Pravin Togadia in a press conference on Tuesday, Ahmedabad’s crime branch chief J K Bhatt has given an account of the leader’s movement on the day he went missing and was found in an unconscious state in the city’s Shahibaug area.

According to Desh Gujarat, Bhatt said that a team of Rajasthan Police had come to Ahmedabad with an arrest warrant for Togadia issued by Gangapur court. Lacking strength, the team asked for support from Ahmedabad’s Sola police station and was provided with the same. Unable to find the leader at his residence, the Rajasthan police team went back to the state after leaving an entry note at the same station.

As revealed through an initial probe, Togadia arrived at VHP headquarters in the city’s Paldi area at 1.00 am and left the building sometime between 10.30 and10.45 am. Togadia left VHP headquarters. Togadia reached the residence of Ghanshyambhai Nandlal Charandas in the city’s Thaltej area at 11.31 am, left for Nehrunagar at 2.00 pm and then switched off his mobile. VHP leader Dhirubhai Kapuriya was with Togadia.

“At around 19.52 Ghanshyam’s driver Nikul Rabari was called. The car reached Sardarnagar at 20.33. Ghanshyambhai with the help of his driver Nikulbhai had called 108 emergency ambulance service on the way and told that an unidentified person was unwell. Ghanshyambhai returned his driver and car and waited with Pravinbhai for the arrival of 108 ambulance. Ghanshyambhai asked 108 ambulance driver to take Pravinbhai straight to Chandramani hospital without giving any treatment. Ghanshyambhai left the place,” the report reads.

“There was no kidnapping. Pravinbhai had left on his own. He could choose to go out only with his Z plus security,” the officer was quoted as saying.

"Z-plus is one of the best security cover, as you get a pilot vehicle, a bulletproof vehicle and inspector-level armed personnel having AK-47 rifles. So it is nearly impossible to get killed in an encounter. It (Togadia's apprehension) is just a figment of imagination," Bhatt said, according to the Economic Times. "If Togadia wanted to go somewhere, he should have taken the security personnel along...This whole issue could have been avoided if he had taken the security personnel along," he added.

In a press conference yesterday, Togadia had accused intelligence agencies and police of trying to silence him.