Suspended, but successful

 

 

Bhavan Bharvad, present Congress MLA from Limdi constituency of Surendranagar district, was once the head constable of Gujarat Police. In the early nineties, he was charged in the murder case of a BJP worker on Sola Road, Ahmedabad. At that time, a young BJP worker named Amit was a witness but he later turned hostile, allowing Bharvad's acquittal. Amit is currently the Minister of State for Home in the Narendra Modi government. Bharvad was later suspended on corruption charges and he joined politics.

Jetha Bharvad's is a similar tale. Formerly a constable of the Ahmedabad city police, Jetha was suspended in a sensational jail break conspiracy almost a decade ago. He contested in the 1998 elections as an independent candidate from Sehera, Dahod district. He won the elections and is presently a BJP MLA from this constituency. These incidents are just the tip of an iceberg which is weighed down with suspended policemen turning into successful politicians. It seems to be the growing trend in Gujarat.

C.R. Patil was a constable in Surat city till 1991. When he faced corruption charges, he quit the job and started a newspaper. He later jumped into politics and ended up joining the BJP. He demanded a ticket for the Choryasi constituency of Surat which has been denied by the party.

Another case is Jayesh Gadhvi, a former constable of Surat city police. Gadhvi was facing prohibition charges and thus, he was sent on a punishment transfer to Kutch. He now wants to quit his job and he also claimed a BJP ticket from anys eat in Kutch. The list seems to be neverending.

Though the facts show a grim reality, it is also true that there still exist a few good, honest men. There are some cops known to be aspiring for tickets from various parties. P.K. Jadeja is one of them. Currently working with the Ahmedabad Crime Prevention Branch, he busted the infamous post-earthquake scrap scam and is gunning for Kutch. Also not serving a suspension and asking for a BJP ticket from Sabarkantha district is ACP M.K. Bumbadiya from Surat. He has also tendered his resignation. There seems to be a silver lining after all!