Madhya Pradesh legislator held over youth’s disappearance

BHOPAL - Madhya Pradesh legislator Kamal Patel has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of a youth who went missing allegedly from his residence March 5, 2008, officials said Friday. Patel’s son Sandeep is the main accused in the case.

Patel, a legislator of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was arrested late Thursday here by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on charges of criminal conspiracy and destroying evidence in the case, an official said. He was state revenue minister at the time of the incident.

Patel has been taken to Indore where he would be produced in court, CBI sources said.

The high court had ordered a CBI probe into the disappearance of Durgesh Jat, a friend of Sandeep, after the victim’s father filed a case.

According to Durgesh’s father Ramvilas Jat, his college-going son has been missing since March 5, 2008. Quoting Durgesh’s friend, Jat said his son was last seen in Patel’s then official residence from where he was taken to an undisclosed destination in the presence of then Harda Superintendent of Police A.K. Jha. He is presently Superintendent of Police (Training School), Pachmarhi.

Jat said he had also learnt that his son had suffered a gunshot wound at Patel’s residence, where he had accompanied Sandeep and some other boys. As his son was injured, he was taken from Patel’s house and there has been no news about him since then.

Whenever he approached Patel’s residence, he was assured that Durgesh was undergoing treatment and would return soon, but he never showed up. Jat said he feared that the legislator’s son might have killed Durgesh.

Jat says he requested for a CBI probe as the state police, despite repeated complaints and requests, failed to act.

Kamal Patel had been interrogated at a guest house here a few weeks ago as well.