In a shocking incident in Botad, one local ‘don’ Siraj alias Siro Don alias Don Hussain Khalyani Botadwala is accused threatening businessman and VHP leader Mahendrabhai Laljibhai Mali alias Munnabhai Mali. Threatening to kill Munnabhai, Siraj Don said, “You will face the same consequences as Kishan Bharwad.” The incident took place on 5th May 2022.
A complaint in this regard was lodged by Munnabhai Mali at Botad police station on 7th May 2022. The Botad police took further action and the accused was nabbed. The accused Siro Don has a long criminal history and complaints have been registered against him for several offenses in the past.
BOTAD : VHP નેતાને હત્યાની ધમકી આપનાર આરોપી સિરાજ ડોનની પોલીસે કરી ધરપકડ #Botad #BotadNews #VHP #Crime https://t.co/NA5RElghDO
— ABP Asmita (@abpasmitatv) May 8, 2022
Speaking to OpIndia, the complainant Munnabhai Mali said that on 5th May 2022, when he was on his way to the shop from his home at around 3 o’clock in the afternoon, the accused Siraj alias Siro Don alias Don Hussain Khalyani Botadwala came in a numberless Swift car from the front of the road near a medical store at Nagalpar Darwaza. The accused allegedly threatened Munnabhai Mali by saying “In the village, you have put loudspeakers on Hanumanji’s temple. Get it down or else you will face the same consequences as Kishan Bharwad. What will you do to us? If I get you in the car and kidnap you, you can’t do anything to me. We are watching all of you. Stay within your limits, or else I will kill you.” And further he spoke in a loud voice and again threatened to kill him (Munnabhai Mali).
Speaking further, Munnabhai said that after the incident, he called up Rasikbhai Talshibhai Kanjaria, chairman of the Bhavnagar division of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and told him about the entire sequence of events. On his advice, Munnabhai Mali lodged a complaint against the accused at the Botad police station on 7th May 2022.
ધંઘુકાના કિશન ભરવાડ જેવું થશે તેવી પણ ધમકી આપી
— News18Gujarati (@News18Guj) May 8, 2022
સીરો ડોન પર ભૂતકાળમાં નોંધાયેલા છે ઘણા ગુના
વિહિપ શહેર પ્રમુખ લાલજીભાઈ માળીએ ફરિયાદ નોંધાવી
બોટાદ પોલીસ મથકે નોંધાવી ફરિયાદ#botad
When OpIndia contacted Rasikbhai Talshibhai Kanjaria, chairman of the Bhavnagar division of the VHP, he said, “Like all over India and Gujarat, in Botad too, mikes and loudspeakers were installed in many temples to recite the Hanuman Chalisa. Munnabhai Mali has been associated with the VHP for the last 20 years and this Sira Don first did his recce. Then on the 5th of May, when Munnabhai was on his way to his flower shop from his house at 3 PM, seeing the opportunity, Siraj stopped him and threatened to put him in a car and threatened to kill him like Kishan Bharwad.” Rasikbhai Kanjaria further said that he has a clear demand that the strictest possible action should be taken against anti-social elements like Siraj rather than spoiling the atmosphere of religious harmony in the area.
On 25th January 2022, a 27-year-old youth, Kishan Bharwad, was shot dead in Dhandhuka taluka, which falls in Ahmedabad (Rural), over an allegedly blasphemous social media post. Kishan Bharwad’s murderers Shabbir and Imtiyaz Pathan were arrested by the police and further investigations also revealed the involvement of a Muslim cleric.
Note: Report originally published in Gujarati. You can read it here.
