BJP councillor booked for ‘firing’ during procession in Talala

However, the BJP leader claimed that he had fired a starter gun and not his revolver. “I had fired a starter and not my revolver. The starter looks exactly like the revolver but it creates only noise and releases smoke when fired,” the BJP leader told The Indian Express.

Talala police launched an FIR against Unadkat late on Sunday night.

Based on the complaint filed by Chandubhai Chudasama, a head constable, the Talala police booked Unadkat under Section 30 of the Arms Act, 1959, and Section 336 of the Indian Penal Code.

The Section 30 of the Arms Act provides for punishment for contravention of conditions of an arms licence while Section 336 of the IPC relates to acts done negligently or rashly, endangering life or personal safety of others.

In his complaint, the head constable stated that Unadkat fired in the air from his personal revolver during a procession taken to mark the 220th birth anniversary of Sait Jalaram. He added that the incident took place in Girinam Chowk of Talala town at around 11 am on Sunday.

Chudasama said that the procession had started from Jalaram temple on Gundaran Road in the Talala town at around 10 am and it reached Girinam Chowk at around 11 am, and added that he came to know about the alleged celebratory firing through videos which were being circulated on WhatsApp and aired on local TV news channels.

“Those participating in the procession were playing raas-garba (traditional folk-dance) and that lead to a jam of vehicular traffic in the Chowk. Therefore, (we) remained busy in traffic management and in maintaining law and order. At around 11:30 am, the procession moved towards Lohana Mahajan Vandi from Girinam Chowk and culminated at around 12:30 pm. Therefore, I and the rest of the staff members returned to the police station,” he said.

“Later on, through videos and photographs which had gone viral on WhatsApp and TV news channels, I came to know that during Amit Unadkat, a resident of Talala had fired in the air his private revolver in Girinam Chowk during the Jalaram Jayanti (birth anniversary) procession at around 11 am,” the head constable added.

In the video that had gone viral on social media on Sunday, Unadkat, held aloft on shoulders by his supporters, is purportedly seen loading a firearm- like device and then firing in the air as people around him dance to the tunes of loud music in the Girinam square.

Police said that Unadkat had a licence to keep a revolver and that the celebratory firing was done allegedly from that firearm.

Anirudhhsinh Solanki, police-sub-inspector of Talala, said they were in the process of arresting the BJP councillor.

“Efforts are on to arrest Unadkat. We shall seize his revolver immediately and then recommend to the district magistrate of Gir Somnath to cancel his arms licence as such type of incidents endanger life and safety of public besides violating conditions of the licence,” Solanki told The Indian Express on Monday.

Meanwhile, Zaveribhai Thakrar, president of Gir Somnath district unit of the BJP said that he was aware of the development. “I have come to know through media that a case of firing has been reported in Talala and our councillor has been booked. We are collecting more information about the incident,” he said.