VADODARA, May 10: The police today searched the belongings, kept in the Police Training School hostel, of the seven PTS trainees arrested for their involvement in Thursday's rampage at the Summer Mela. However, nothing could be found barring personal effects such as clothes, mirrors, toiletries, etc.The search was conducted to recover the Rs. 1.5 lakh which is alleged to have been stolen from the office of the mela during the rampage. In their FIR, mela authorities said that the steel cupboard in their office was opened by the trainees and money stolen by them.
Meanwhile, Judicial Magistrate, Second Court, N G Parmar, sent the arrested PTS trainees to three-day police remand to facilitate investigation.
In a new development, PTS trainees alleged today that the police role in the investigation was not impartial, but instead appeared to be protecting the mela organisers. `Speaking on condition of anonymity, some said while their personal possessions had been searched, the police were yet to make any arrest in connection with the murder of the trainee Salim Kataria.
They also alleged that trainees, kept in the custody of the Raopura police, were not being given proper food. On the first day of their arrest, the trainees were neither given breakfast nor lunch, they further alleged. However, PI Patel of Raopura police strongly denied the allegations.
Referring to launching of action in connection with the murduer of Salim Kataria, he said that no one either from the public or PTS had so far come out with any evidence in the matter. ``We cannot arrest innocent persons'', he stated.
However, Deputy Commissioner of Police(North) P K Velera, when contacted, said :``A murder case has been registered in this connection. Arrest will certainly be made whether anybody comes forward to submit evidence or not''. He refused, however, to say how soon the arrest would be made.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.