Vadodara: Panchmahal police have arrested the prime accused in the rioting that broke out in Godhra on Sept 19 after a social media post allegedly triggered unrest in the town.The accused, Zakir Zabha, content creator, had been called to the police station earlier that day and warned against posting content that could disturb law and order during the Navratri festival. However, after leaving the police station, he allegedly feigned injury and uploaded a video accusing the police of assault. The video went viral and soon after, mobs targeted police personnel in the town, leading to rioting.The accused fled Godhra the same night and remained untraceable despite extensive efforts by the Panchmahal police. His family members also left the town, and his mobile phone remained switched off after he escaped.During the investigation, the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Panchmahal police gathered intelligence that Zabha was hiding in Mumbai. He was traced to the Bhiwandi, where he had reportedly taken up work at a toy factory and was staying near Nashik Road.A police team in plainclothes conducted surveillance, confirmed his identity and tracked his movements. He was eventually nabbed by the team using a rickshaw and a two-wheeler to approach him discreetly.Preliminary investigations revealed that after fleeing Godhra, Zabha initially survived by begging and doing odd jobs for about a month-and-a-half before finding work as a labourer at the factory.The accused was brought back to Godhra and handed over to the B Division police station for further investigation. He was produced before a court on Wednesday evening, which granted the police 10 days’ remand for interrogation.
