A firing incident took place on October 10 at the Mandli Garba, near Oganaj Circle on Sardar Patel Ring Road, during a clash between two groups.
The altercation occurred at approximately 6:30 AM while participants were dancing to the beat of drums. A minor dispute between two groups escalated into a confrontation, prompting security staff and bouncers to intervene. During the commotion, the security in-charge, Harshdeepsinh Rana, fired several shots into the air with a revolver, causing panic and forcing people to flee the scene. Bouncers quickly subdued the individuals involved and removed them from the area.
It is reported that the police were not immediately informed of the firing, as efforts were made to suppress news of the incident. However, video footage and media reports soon surfaced, prompting the local police to arrive and begin an investigation.
Senior police officials, including the Police Inspector of Sola Police Station, along with the local Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and Additional Commissioner of Police, arrived at the scene to examine the situation. The police are currently reviewing CCTV footage from the event to determine the cause of the fight and gather further details regarding the firing. Harshdeepsinh Rana, the security in-charge, has been identified as the individual who fired the shots.
Neeraj Kumar Badgujar, the Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP) for Sector 1 in Ahmedabad, was among those who visited the Garba venue. He explained that the firing was a precautionary measure taken to prevent the clash from escalating further. Fortunately, no injuries were reported and the organisers are said to be cooperating with the investigation.
Despite this, it is understood that no formal police complaint has been lodged yet. Attempts to contact the organisers of the Garba event have been unsuccessful, as their phones remain switched off.
Harshdeepsinh Rana, the security officer responsible for the firing, is the son of M.K. Rana, a former Police Inspector at Vastrapur and Danilimda Police Stations in Ahmedabad, as well as a former Assistant Police Commissioner in the Special Branch. M.K. Rana had served in various key roles, including responsibilities assigned by a former Police Commissioner and retired two years ago as Gandhinagar Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO). He is currently employed as a security officer at the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU).
This is not the first controversy surrounding Mandli Garba. Four years ago, a similar incident occurred when a brawl led to the police arrest of three individuals.
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