Shiva Solanki

Ahmedabad, Sept. 7: Shiva Solanki, the nephew of influential BJP MP Dinu Solanki, was today arrested in connection with RTI activist Amit Jethwa’s murder while waiting for an early-morning flight to Mumbai.

The Ahmedabad crime branch has been on Shiva’s trail ever since an arrested police constable, Bahadur Singh, told sleuths he offered him Rs 15 lakh to have Jethwa killed. Shiva was picked up at Rajkot airport.

Shiva is the vice-president of the BJP-ruled municipality of Khodinar, a small town rich in mineral resources. Sources said his uncle Dinu, the Junagadh MP, has connections with a powerful Gujarat minister with whom Shiva was seen at a Khodinar guesthouse on Sunday.

Shiva has been brought to Ahmedabad for questioning, Mohan Jha, the joint police commissioner (crime branch), said. But he refused to point a finger at Dinu, saying: “So far, we have no material evidence to suspect his role.”

Jethwa, 33, was shot dead by two men on motorbikes near Gujarat High Court on July 20. He had named the Solanki family in a PIL against illegal mining in the Gir forest area, bringing him in direct conflict with Dinu who controls mining in the region.

According to Jethwa’s father, Bhikubhai Jethwa, Dinu is the alleged mastermind behind his son’s murder. Arrested constable Bahadur, who was posted at Gir Gadaha police station, is believed to be close to Dinu, sources said.

However, the police have so far avoided questioning Dinu despite Bhikubhai’s allegations. The sources said Bhikubhai had grown very apprehensive of the police, given the political clout the BJP MP has.

Joint police commissioner Jha said: “At this stage, when investigations are still on, we cannot rule out any thing. Shiva Solanki is one of the accused (but we are) not ruling out the involvement of Dinu Solanki, who is accused of running illegal mining in the Gir area.”

The slain RTI activist, who was also president of the Gir Nature Youth Club, had filed several petitions in Gujarat High Court against the forest department, besides the PIL against illegal mining in the Gir forest, considered the last abode of Asiatic lions in the world.