In a major setback to the Bharatiya Janata Party, eight accused, including four BJP office-bearers, of the infamous Naliya gangrape case have been arrested. Ninth accused Vipul Thakkar managed to flee. Police investigating the case said they contacted all those named 'Vipul Thakkar' and presented them in front of the victim but none of them turned out to be Vipul Thakkar. Superintendent of Police Makrand Chauhan said, "We searched all contacts from her phone and Facebook, but Vipul Thakkar is yet to be identified. We are still trying."
Demonstrations were held by the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, seeking inquiries by a sitting judge and a Special Investigation Team in the case. The unnamed victim has alleged that she was raped for nearly a year by different accused, who even videographed her on their phones to blackmail her. In an FIR statement, she accused local BJP leader Shantilal Solanki, Bharat Darji, and Vipul Thakkar of raping her multiple times. They also reportedly told her, "We have too many clippings of girls and they have group of 65 people, including politicians, and they have 35 to 40 girls in their grip." The victim has also specifically mentioned a person from Kotharana village, a woman identified as 'Bhabhi' who runs a catering service. Chauhan said, "Although she has mentioned 'Bhabhi' in the FIR, she has given her clean chit during our cross examination."
Following the allegations on district BJP leaders, the party played defensive, as Minister of State for Home, Pradeepsinh Jadeja issued a statement saying that the BJP had nothing to do with the case being investigated as that of gangrape. This came after reports in a section of the media began suggesting that "social women" were allegedly engaged at a workshop of the party in Kutch last year. Reports also suggested that identity cards were issued to these women with their pictures, designating them as "social lady". These reports were, however, denied by Jadeja and BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya. A local court in Naliya has sent suspended BJP leader Shantilal Solanki on a 14-day police remand, on February 9.
The victim accused Solanki of giving her a job at an LPG distribution agency in Naliya in 2015. He soon called her at his residence on pretext of giving her advance salary ahead of Diwali and drugged and raped her. Also present at his house that day were Chauhan and Vipul Thakkar, who later took turns to rape the victim. The complainant stated that nine people raped her at different occasions for about an year as they blackmailed her, threatening to make an alleged video clip Solanki had shot.
Also accused is secretary of BJP's Gandhidham unit Govind Parumalani and Vasant Bhanushali and Ajit Ramwani, both sitting BJP councillors in Gandhidham, Kutch, as accused who also raped her. The party has suspended all four accused after the police established their identity after recording statements of the victims and checking their Facebook profiles.
