The Shivam Residential Society in the Chanakyapuri area of Ahmedabad witnessed chaos on Sunday night as a group of armed miscreants attacked the gated community. The incident, which has gone viral through video clips on social media, occurred after society members discovered an illegal liquor party in a rented flat. The local police have arrested five individuals in connection with the incident.
Fifteen attackers arrived with swords, rods, and stones, attempting to break into society and inflicting damage on property. On the face of it, the situation also shows that there is no fear of law enforcement.
The incident began when the society’s residents discovered that a flat in the B block, recently rented out, was having an illegal liquor party. Society members entered the flat and apprehended two men with bottles of alcohol.
One of the men, identified as Ravi Thakor from Ghatlodia, issued a warning to the residents, telling them to “do whatever they could,” and then called his friends.
Around 8:00 pm, a group of around 15 men arrived outside the society in a Bolero vehicle. Armed with swords, rods, and sticks, they began attacking the society’s main gate. The society’s watchman, Sandip Randhir, locked the gate from the inside to prevent their entry, but the miscreants tried to force it open, using swords and rods to damage the gate.
Escalation of Violence
As the residents defended themselves by throwing stones back, the situation grew more dangerous. Society resident Suresh Patel narrowly avoided injury after one of the attackers swung a sword at him. Another resident, Dinesh Desai, was hit by a stone on his back. The attackers proceeded to smash the security cabin’s glass, damage the CCTV camera display, and destroy some of the society’s cameras.
Ravi Thakor is the prime attacker, while others are identified as Parag Thakor, Montu Thakor, and Arjun Thakor. Amid the chaos, a person inside the rented flat escaped by jumping over the society gate. This individual, who had been part of the illegal liquor party, also threw stones.
Delayed Police Response
Residents reported that they had started calling the police for help at 8:00 pm, but the authorities arrived at 8:35 pm. By this time, the attackers had already fled after hearing the sirens of the approaching police van. The delayed response from law enforcement has left many residents angered and questioning the effectiveness of local policing.
Once the police arrived, they broke the lock of the rented flat, B/205, and conducted a search. Inside, they found 12 bottles of foreign liquor worth Rs 22,060. The liquor was labelled for sale in Rajasthan only. The flat, owned by Pankaj Patel, had reportedly been rented out just three to four days before the incident, and the maintenance for the flat had remained unpaid for some time.
Two police complaints have been registered in connection with the incident. The first complaint was filed by police constable Virsinh Pravinsinh from Sola Police Station, detailing the discovery of the illegal liquor bottles inside the flat. The second complaint was lodged by Vishnubhai Patel, the chairman of Shivam Arcade Society, who recounted the events leading to the attack.
According to Vishnubhai’s complaint, the trouble started earlier in the evening when an unidentified person was spotted leaving the B block. When questioned, the person claimed to have rented flat B/205 for the past three days. Soon after, another person from the same flat attempted to evade the society office bearers, but when questioned, he returned to B/205.
A third individual then tried to avoid further questions by society members and fled the compound, abandoning a Honda Activa (GJ01XP1230) in the society’s premises. This person threatened the society members, stating he would return with more people.
Although no severe injuries were reported, the incident has heightened concerns about the security of the area, especially given the delayed police intervention. Further investigation is underway by the local police.
Also Read: Gujarat’s Lone Cong MP Geniben Slams Maitri Karar, Bats For OBC Welfare