In a unique case that unfolded over two days, Naranpura police on Tuesday arrested a man who threatened to blow up Gandhi Bridge in the city. Quite interestingly, the accused walked up to the police, tapped on their shoulder and told them that he was the man they were looking for!
On Monday evening, 35-year-old Vijay Sagathia called police control room, and threatened to bomb the historic Gandhi Bridge at 11am on Tuesday. Police, to prevent any untoward incident, stationed themselves at the bridge and searched every corner of it for explosives and that mysterious caller. At this juncture, Sagathia emerged at the scene, quite nonchalantly, and turned himself
to the cops.
Sagathia, a resident of Nava Vadaj area, is mentally unstable and is under treatment at Civil Hospital for past 15 years. According to his mother Kaluben, Sagathia had not taken his medicine for past one week, which led to his bizarre and foolish act. He, in fact, has threatened several times to blow up his own house, added his mother.
Sagathia, upon interrogation by the police, narrated a well-oiled, crisp and matter-of-factly story as reason behind his act. According to him, he actually saved the bridge from being blown up, which explains why he first called the control room and then approached police.
"Two unknown guys asked me to deliver bombs to a person waiting for me under Gandhi Bridge. I was promised Rs10 lakh for this job. They were supposed to give me bombs at 11am (at the bridge) but I turned on them and asked police officials already at the spot to look for a Maruti Wagon-R and catch them red-handed. I actually tried to save the historic bridge," said Sagathia.
As per senior police inspector HB Jamod, Sagathia has taken the matrimonial dip four times, but each of his wives left him because of his mental condition. "He has two sons, aged seven and 12. He has worked at several places as a peon, but was fired from his jobs due to his mental condition," said Jamod.
