Former Gujarat minister killed in road accident in Amreli
Amreli (PTI): Former Gujarat agriculture minister Vallabhbhai Vaghasiya died after the car he was driving crashed into a bulldozer near Savarkundla town in Amreli district of the state, police said on Friday.
The accident took place on Thursday night, an official of Vanda police station said.
Vaghasiya, 69, a former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Savarkundla assembly seat, had served as the agriculture and urban housing minister in the first term of the Vijay Rupani government.
He was returning to Savarkundla from a village when the accident occurred around 8.30 pm on a state highway near Vanda village. One person accompanying him in the vehicle sustained injuries, the police official said.
The former minister suffered injuries after the car he was driving rammed into a bulldozer. He was rushed to a hospital where he was declared dead, the police said.
A large number of party leaders and his supporters gathered at the hospital after learning about the accident.
"Former MLA of Savarkundla seat and ex-minister V V Vaghasiya died in a road accident. The leader who worked as a skilled organiser and a mass leader, and served the people of Amreli is no more with us. We pray for his departed soul and strength to his family to bear the loss," said sitting BJP MLA from Savarkundla, Mahesh Kaswala.
Amreli MLA Kaushik Vekariya said that Vaghasiya will be remembered for his commitment to the welfare of the people of the region.
Vaghasiya had won the 2012 Assembly election as a BJP MLA from the Savarkundla seat, and was sworn in as a minister in the Vijay Rupani government in 2016.
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'Strong evidence' available against Saif attacker, police tell court while opposing his bail plea
Mumbai, Jul 25 (PTI): Police have opposed the bail plea of the Bangladeshi national arrested for allegedly stabbing Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan with a knife and injuring him at his home here in January this year, telling a Mumbai court there was "strong evidence" against the accused.
Citing a Forensic Science Laboratory report, police reiterated before the sessions court their earlier claim knife fragments that got lodged near the actor's spine during the attack as well as a part found at the crime spot have matched with the weapon recovered from the accused, Shariful Islam.
These three pieces were part of the same weapon (knife) used to attack the filmstar, the police said in a written response to the accused's plea submitted in the court on Thursday (July 24).
Khan was repeatedly stabbed with a knife by an intruder inside his 12th floor apartment in upscale Bandra on January 16 during a robbery attempt.
The 54-year-old actor underwent surgery at Lilavati Hospital to remove a piece of knife that got lodged near his spine during the attack. He was discharged from the private hospital after five days.
Shariful Islam, a Bangladeshi national, was arrested two days later for allegedly stabbing Khan.
The police, in their response, highlighted that the accused is a Bangladeshi citizen residing illegally in India.
If granted bail, there was a possibility that he may flee India and not appear before the court during the trial. The crime committed by the accused is of a "very serious nature, and strong evidence" is available against him, they argued.
In his bail plea, filed through advocate Vipul Dushing, the accused asserted he was innocent and had no prior criminal record.
Investigation into the case has practically concluded with only the filing of a chargesheet pending, the accused contended while seeking bail.
The alleged attacker has been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections related to house trespass, robbery and dacoity with attempt to cause death or grievous injury.
