The police constable who allegedly physically assaulted cricketer Ravindra Jadeja’s wife Riva in Jamnagar was suspended and transferred with immediate effect, hours after he was arrested late on Monday night.
Riva was allegedly assaulted by the police constable on Saru Section Road near Jamnagar district police headquarters in Jamnagar city at around 7 pm on Monday while she was on her way to her home in Panchavati area of Jamnagar. The constable was identified as Sanjay Karangiya, attached to C Division police station in Jamnagar city.
Police said that Riva was returning home from Rajkot along with her 11-month-old daughter and her mother Prafulla Solanki. Police said the car driven by Riva collided with Karangiya’s motor-bike while he was coming out of Jamangar police headquarters and he fell down.
“The accused got angry after his bike collided with the car and he fell down. He asked Riva to drive carefully. An argument ensued and the constable started abusing the victim. The victim revealed her identity and told the accused that she was wife of Ravindra Jadeja. However, Karangiya responded by saying so what and he showed her identity card, telling her he was a policeman. The constable turned violent and physically assaulted the victim,” B Division police inspector Ravirajsinh Jadeja told The Indian Express on Tuesday.
Karangiya was detained soon after the incident. Ravirasinh, who is also the investigating officer, further said that the constable was not in uniform at the time of the incident. “During interrogation, karangiya said that he had stomach-ache and therefore was on his way to purchase some medicines when the incident took place,” said Ravirajsinh, the investigating officer of the case.
The C Division police station functions out of headquarters of Jamnagar district police. The IO said that 32-year-old Karangiya had joined police force seven years ago.
In her complaint, Riva’s mother Prafulla stated that the accused drove his Hunk bike rashly and collided with her daughter’s BMW car. “He verbally abused Riva, slapped her, pulled her hair and smashed her against glass of the car two to three times causing injuries on her head. The accused also placed his hand on her neck and chest and tried to pull her towards him and thus tried to outrage his modesty,” Prafulla stated in the complaint.
Based on Prafulla’s complaint, B Division police in Jamnagar booked 32-year-old Karangiya under IPC Sections 279 (rash driving), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 354 (outraging a woman’s modesty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and Sections 184 (dangerous driving) and 177 (punishment for violating MV Act) of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
Two hours after an FIR was registered at B Divison police station, Karangiya was formally arrested at 10:45 pm. “The constable was not in uniform when the incident took place,” the police inspector, who is investigating officer (IO) of the case further said.
