Bhanushali murder case: Ex-BJP leader Chhabil Patel arrested

Ahmedabad: Over two months after the murder of former Gujarat MLA Jayanti Bhanushali, former BJP leader Chhabil Patel, a prime accused in the case, was arrested as soon as he landed at the Ahmedabad international airport on Thursday morning, officials said.

The arrest was made the Gujarat CID-Crime.

Talking to reporters, Director General of Police, CID-Crime Ashish Bhatia said, Patel admitted that he played a key role in the conspiracy to kill Bhanushali, his political rival.

Patel had fled to Muscat in Oman a week before Bhanushali was murdered. While Bhanushali was shot dead in a moving train on January 8 (this year), Patel had fled to Muscat on January 2. Thereafter, Patel went to the US on January 10 and lived with his daughter in New Jersey, Bhatia said.

"Patel was arrested from the Ahmedabad airport as soon as his flight from New York landed here early today morning.

He confessed to us that he played a key role in the Bhanushali murder case. He revealed how he contacted sharp shooters and conducted a recce of Bhanushali," Bhatia said.

He said, more details will emerge once they secure his remand after he is produced before the court.

The CID had earlier arrested five persons- Patel's son Siddharth, two sharp shooters and two caretakers of Patel's farmhouse in Kutch district, Bhatia said. According to him, around three accused in the case, including a woman named Manisha Goswami, are still at large and yet to be arrested.