In the aftermath of 50 lives tragically lost in the ‘Lattha’ incident in the Ahmedabad and Botad districts of the state, the involvement of Pipalji’s AMOS Company in the scandal has been revealed. Earlier, the police and administration were allegedly trying to shield Samir Patel, owner of the company. But now, amid political pressure, the investigation into the company has intensified.
A search operation was conducted on Tuesday morning at the house of the four directors of the AMOS Company from where the methanol had come. A lookout notice has been issued against Patel. Another director, Rajit Choksi, is also absconding. The remaining two directors, Chandu Patel and Pankaj Patel, were served a notice and summoned to the Barwala police station. Officials say that if the accused remains absconding, the property will be seized.
Jayesh alias Raju, the main accused in the Lattha case, has confessed to the crime before the court. He has also admitted that he brought the chemical from the AMOS Company.
SP Nirlipt Rai of the State Monitoring Cell, who was handed the charge of the investigation by the state home department, said that Samir Patel had been declared absconding. Teams have formed to search for both Patel and Choksi. The statements of Chandu Patel and Pankaj Patel were recorded in the presence of Nirlipt Rai. It has been revealed that the license of the company has also not been renewed. Employees of the anti-narcotics department are also suspected to be involved and have been investigated. It is the duty of the Anti-Narcotics Department to monitor all movement of methanol as per the schedule.
Who is Samir Patel?
Patel, the owner of AMOS Company of Pipalj, has a political background and is also supposedly close to a former minister and MLA of the state. Patel is also the Vice President at the Bet-Dwarka Temple Trust. The chemical license of the AMOS Company had expired, but Patel, using his political influence, did not renew the license and continued with the day-to-day business. Prime accused Jayesh, who was arrested earlier was working as a manager at the company in Devraj Industrial Park, Pipalaj, Ahmedabad. He purportedly stole chemicals from the warehouse and gave them to the bootleggers, who later mixed them with water and sold it as country liquor.
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