GujCTOC accused shot in leg booked for attempt to culpable homicide

Ahmedabad: A day after a GujCTOC accused was shot in the leg during a crime branch operation near Sola Bhagwat, police on Tuesday booked him for attempt to commit culpable homicide not amounting to murder and for resisting lawful arrest.

Dharmendrasinh Barad, who suffered a bullet injury to his left foot during Monday evening’s operation, is currently undergoing treatment at Sola Civil Hospital, officials said.

According to the city crime branch, Barad was wanted in an attempt-to-murder case registered at Krishnanagar police station under the Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organized Crime (GujCTOC) Act. Police said that when a crime branch team intercepted him near Sola Bhagwat around 7pm on Monday, he resisted detention and got into a scuffle with an officer.

During the struggle, Barad allegedly tried to snatch the service pistol of a crime branch officer, following which a round was fired, hitting him in the leg. Based on the incident, police registered fresh charges against him under provisions related to attempt to culpable homicide, and obstructing public servants from discharging their duty.

A senior crime branch officer said Barad had been hiding in Rajasthan for several months to evade police action and had recently returned to Ahmedabad. “We had information that he was back in the city last week and was allegedly trying to negotiate settlements in some of his legal matters through influential persons,” the officer said.

The gunshot near the busy Sola Bhagwat junction created panic among motorists and pedestrians during peak traffic hours on Monday evening. Police personnel later cordoned off the area and shifted the injured accused to hospital.

Police said Barad has a long criminal history with multiple offences registered against him, including cases of murder, attempt to murder, extortion, rioting, dacoity, Arms Act violations and prohibition-related offences across several police stations in Ahmedabad.