Just as campaigning for the local self-government elections wound down, a controversy erupted in Una town of Gir Somnath district with the arrest of an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate for allegedly staging an attack on himself to implicate political rivals.
Arrest and Charges
Ajay Bambhaniya, 38, the AAP candidate from Ward 5 of the Una municipality, was arrested by Una police on Friday. The complaint was filed by Una police station inspector J K Mori under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act, including Sections 212, 217, and 214.
Incident Details
The incident took place on Thursday night on Gir Gadhada Road in Una. Bambhaniya claimed that unknown persons on a motorcycle fired at his car and fled, injuring him when glass shattered. He was admitted to a private hospital, and a complaint was registered at Una police station based on his statement.
Police Investigation
Police, however, found the version suspicious from the start. A joint probe by Una police, the Gir Somnath local crime branch, and the special operations group led to a different conclusion. "At the time of the local self-government election, Bambhaniya provided false information to the police, attempting to implicate his rivals in serious crimes and fabricate false evidence," said Mori.
The investigation found that Bambhaniya had tried to mislead the police and was also in illegal possession of firearm ammunition. The arrest has sent shockwaves through the local political landscape, with rival parties demanding a thorough inquiry.
