Ahmedabad: A disturbing pattern of witness killings in Botad has deepened concerns after the wife of the latest victim allegedly attempted suicide inside a police station on Monday, claiming she was threatened and denied protection.Sanjay Vaghela, a key witness in an earlier murder case, was found dead on March 23, becoming the third person in a chain of linked killings over seven years. Days after his killing, his family claimed they were threatened by members of a community for demanding action against the “real culprits” behind the murder.According to the family, two accused surrendered before police in connection with Vaghela’s killing. However, they alleged that these men were not the actual perpetrators and that the real accused were being shielded. When the family insisted on further action, they were allegedly threatened. The situation escalated when Vaghela’s family visited the Botad SP office, where they allegedly encountered two men who abused them and issued death threats. “They hurled caste abuses and threatened to kill us. We immediately approached the police,” said Vaghela’s brother.The family claimed they went to the police station on Monday to lodge a complaint, but were told that only an application would be accepted and no FIR would be registered. “We even asked police to check CCTV footage, but no action was taken,” he alleged. Amid mounting pressure and alleged inaction, Vaghela’s wife attempted suicide inside the police station. She reportedly banged her head and tried to strangle herself with her sari, triggering panic among those present. She was rushed for medical treatment and discharged on Tuesday. Family members said she suffered throat swelling and a minor brain haemorrhage.The case has drawn attention due to a troubling sequence of events. The sequence began with the murder of Manji Solanki, husband of the sarpanch of Jalila village in Ranpur taluka, on June 19, 2019. According to police, Solanki was riding a motorcycle on the Barwala-Ranpur highway when a car rammed into him. He was then assaulted by a group armed with iron pipes and sticks. He suffered serious injuries and died during treatment in Ahmedabad. An FIR was registered against six accused. Rajesh Makwana later became a witness in the case, but was murdered on Sep 6, 2023. Sanjay Vaghela, witness to Makwana’s killing, was found murdered last Monday. All three victims belonged to the Dalit community. The police now probing whether this is a chain of targeted eliminations.While police have registered a murder case in Vaghela’s death and arrested suspects, the family continues to allege that the investigation is “incomplete and biased”.On Wednesday, DySP Maharshi Raval told TOI that two accused who were named in the FIR were arrested earlier and two more have been arrested recently in the Sanjay Vaghela murder case. “The murder took place due to some petty dispute and investigation is ongoing in the case ,” said Raval, asserting that they were conducting a fair investigation into the family’s allegations.
