The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has apprehended two accused involved in the vandalism of Dr B R Ambedkar’s statue in the Khokhra area. The incident, which took place on December 22 near KK Shastri College, initiated widespread outrage among the local community.
The accused, identified as Mehul Thakor and Bhola Thakor, confessed to desecrating the statue by throwing stones.
Addressing a press conference, Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP) Sharad Singhal said, “Four culprits have been identified, with two arrested. The incident occurred around 3:30 am and the suspects used scooters to reach the site. They were apprehended in the Aslali area. This is a local conflict involving a boundary wall and longstanding tensions between communities over the past six years.”
The investigation, led by over 20 teams comprising the Crime Branch and Khokhra police, reviewed more than 1,000 CCTV footages and questioned over 200 people.
“We checked numerous scooters and examined extensive CCTV footage. The suspects are from Jugan Das Chali near Idgah, which is a considerable distance from Khokhra. The conflict is between the Nadiya and Thakor communities. Additional accused, including Chetan and Jayesh Thakor, are still absconding. Chetan and Jayesh are the main accused. They had switched off their phones and efforts to locate them are ongoing,” Singhal explained.
The vandalism is believed to be linked to a longstanding dispute between two groups in the Jugan Das neighbourhood. Evidence suggests a connection to previous rioting cases registered in 2018 and 2020 with the local police.
The Khokhra Police plan to seek remand of the suspects for further questioning. “Why they specifically targeted the statue in Khokhra will be clarified during the remand process,” added Singhal.
Sources told Vibes of India that the miscreants were in an inebriated state during the incident. They were just roaming on their scooters.
The incident has drawn significant public attention and sparked protests across the Khokhra area. Residents expressed their anger by staging roadblocks, chanting slogans against the authorities and shutting down local shops.
Members of the ‘Jay Bhim Sena,’ led by Youth Congress General Secretary Gaurang Makwana, also joined the protests, demanding swift action against the culprits. Prominent Congress leaders such as Jignesh Mevani, Himmatsinh Patel, etc met the city police commissioner and further their demands.
CM Too Intervenes
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also weighed in on the controversy, accusing the Congress of disrespecting Dr Ambedkar.
“The Congress forced Dr Ambedkar to resign as Law Minister and even defeated him in elections. They failed to honour him with the Bharat Ratna. In contrast, the BJP has established memorials in his name across London, Delhi, Nagpur and Mumbai, despite attempts by the Congress to create obstacles,” said Patel.
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