Attack on Gandhi's car: Search on for three more persons

The Gujarat Police is searching for three more persons allegedly involved in the attack on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's car in Banaskantha district.

Local Congress members claimed the three persons have been identified as Bhagwandas Patel, Mor Singh Rao and Mukesh Thakkar.

They are associated with the ruling BJP and are among the conspirators of the attack, the Congress members alleged.

The police had yesterday arrested Jayesh Darji, an office-bearer of the BJP's youth wing in Banaskantha, after his name cropped up during investigation, an official said.

"We are trying to track down three more persons, who are on the run. Their names came up during the investigation into the attack on Gandhi's vehicle," said Dhanera circle police inspector J N Khant.

A stone was thrown at Gandhi's on Friday when he was on a visit to the flood-hit areas.

Darji and the three others have been booked under IPC sections relating to "voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty, causing hurt by act endangering life and mischief causing damage to property".

Gandhi had escaped unhurt in the attack in which the glass pane at the rear of his car was broken.
He had to cut short his address to a gathering in the Lal Chowk area of Dhanera in Banaskantha district as black flags were shown to him by some of those who turned up for the meeting.

The state government had claimed that Gandhi had not taken the bullet-proof vehicle provided to him and had instead, decided to travel in the car of a party worker.

The incident has triggered sharp protests from the Congress.