Haren Pandya murder case: Former Guj minister faces ire

Vadodara, Sep 4: Former Gujarat state minister Jaspal Singh has been suspended from the primary membership of BJP for "jumping" the party line over the Haren Pandya murder case, a party leader said on Sep 3.

Singh had demanded fresh investigations into the murder of the former home minister after the Gujarat High Court acquitted 12 accused for want of evidence in the eight-year old case.

"We took this step (of suspending) Singh after he wrote a letter to party president Nitin Gadkari supporting the demand of fresh re-investigations raised by Chhaya, sister of Haren Pandya, after the high court acquitted 12 accused in the case," Vadodara city unit president Bharat Dangar told PTI today.

He also sided with Jagruti, widow of Pandya, who has sought intervention of senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in reopening the murder case.

Singh, according to BJP, also justified Governor Kamla''s decision of appointing R A Mehta as Lokayukta of the state.

"As these statements are not in line with the party system, he is suspended from the primary membership of the party," Dangar said.

PTI