BJP leader Pandya is shot dead

Minister of State for Home Amit Shah said the case had been entrusted to the CBI because ‘‘we suspect it to be an inter-State affair.’’ Refusing to divulge details, he said only an agency like the CBI could do justice and added that the CBI was not roped in under pressure from the Congress.

It appears that Pandya was shot soon after he arrived at Law Garden from his Paldi residence. Unnoticed, he lay in his car for about two hours. A vendor later told the police that he heard the sound of gunshots at around 7.45 am and saw a man walk away from the car.

But what’s surprising is that nobody else either saw or heard anything — despite it being rush hour and Law Garden is one of the busiest thoroughfares of the city.

One of the first persons to know of the incident was Pandya’s personal assistant Nilesh Bhatt, who informed the police and Ellisbridge BJYM president Janaksinh Jhala.

‘‘When I reached at about 9.30 am, Harenbhai was lying in the front seat of the car. Nileshbhai had informed the police, and we took him to V S Hospital,’’ Jhala said. Doctors said: ‘‘It seems as if more than one and half hours had passed before he was brought here as his blood had clotted.’’ Pandya was immediately put on artificial respiration and preparations were being made for an emergency surgery when his pulse rate started dipping, suggesting a cardiac arrest, doctors said.

Pandya was in coma by then and was declared dead during treatment at 11.15 am. Pandya’s assistant collapsed on reaching hospital and was undergoing treatment for shock. Therefore, it could not be known how Bhatt got news of the incident.

The police have traced only one of the two eyewitnesses they have identified. In his statement, he said that he was at his snack stall across the road — about 20 metres from the spot — and was reading the newspaper when he heard gunshots at about 7.45 am.

He looked up and saw a man aged between 25 and 30 walk from near Pandya’s car, where he thought the sound had come from, towards Panchwati, after which he lost sight of the man. He did not report the incident to anyone.

A black Hero Honda Splendor was found near the car and assumed to be a vehicle used by the assailants. However, it was later revealed that the motorbike belonged to Ellisbridge BJYM chief Jhala, who had rushed to the spot.

Home Secretary K Nityanandan said police had received several clues but did not elaborate. However, he stated that there were two assailants who came on a two-wheeler. He said that sketches of the two would be prepared and fingerprints on the car door checked.

He said four bullets were pumped into Pandya from the driver’s side when he was about to get down for his morning walk. Two persons on a two-wheeler were seen and some people apparently heard shots but fled, he added.

Senior police officials refused to comment on investiagtions, saying it was ‘‘premature.’’ Sources revealed that the weapon used could either be a 9mm pistol or a .32 revolver. The police sniffer dog failed to provide any clue about the assilants and their possible escape route.

Interestingly, there were no bullet marks on Pandya’s car, which lends credence to the theory that he was either alighting from the vehicle or was about to enter when he was fired at.

Among the first State BJP leaders to reach were Minister of State for Home Amit Shah and city MLA Bharat Barot who faced aggressive Pandya supporters raising slogans against the Government for having ‘‘failed to protect Pandya’s life.’’ And while Shah was allowed to enter the emergency ward where Pandya had breathed his last, Barot had to beat a retreat from the rear entrance. Even Chief Minister Narendra Modi faced some slogan-shouting. Some mediapersons were manhandled. Former Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel had also visited the hospital.

Nityanandan, who said security to all VIPs was being reviewed, said there had been no threat perception against Pandya and that he had not sought police protection. He said the killing — following the attempts on the life of VHP leaders Niraj Jain, Jaideep Patel and Jagdish Tiwari — appeared to be part of a conspiracy to disturb the peace in Gujarat.