Bhuj
A Gujarat court sentenced former Director General of Police (DGP) of the state to 3 months in jail. He was convicted in the case of attacking a Congress leader and wrongly taking him hostage while being the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Kutch 41 years ago. In addition to Bhuj, Chief Judicial Magistrate B.M. Prajapati’s court also convicted former Police Inspector Girish Vasavada in the case and sentenced him to three months in jail.
Advocate RS Garhvi, who represented the complainant, said, “Both Kuldeep Sharma and Vasavada were convicted today under Section 342 (wrongly hostage) of the IPC. The court sentenced him to three months imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1,000.” The case is in 1984, when Congress leader Ibrahim Mandhara, known as Ibhala Seth, was attacked by Kuldeep Sharma and some other police officers. Ibrahim Mandhara has now passed away.
According to a complaint lodged by a person named Shankar Joshi, a delegation of complainant Ibrahim and local MLAs from Nalia city of Kutch went to meet Sharma at the SP office in Bhuj on 6 May 1984 to discuss a case registered in the city. Garhvi said that he met SP Kuldeep Sharma in connection with a police campaign in Nalia and urged him to take action instead of innocent people. Meanwhile, after a sharp debate, Kuldeep Sharma took Ibrahim to another room and attacked him with his fellow officials.
In the complaint lodged in Bhuj court, Shankar Joshi demanded action under Section 342 (wrongly hostage), 323 (voluntary hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) against retired IPS officer Kuldeep Sharma, Vasavada and two other accused (who has now died).
Ibrahim, who died in 2020, his son Iqbal Mandhara distributed sweets outside the Bhuj court after the verdict. He told reporters that the delay in justice is similar to refusal to justice, but the truth has won after 40 years. My father tirelessly struggled for justice and today’s decision ensures the accountability of the responsible people.
