Kheda (Gujarat), Sep 1 (PTI) The Kheda district administration in Gujarat on Tuesday removed around 50 encroachments along a state highway in Mahudha town, a day after a car driver was allegedly assaulted following a dispute with an auto-rickshaw driver, officials said.
The action was aimed at facilitating smooth movement of vehicles, they said.
The demolition drive was carried out in the Finav Bhagol area, where the alleged assault took place on Monday evening. Around 250 police personnel were deployed to maintain law and order during the encroachment removal operation, Kheda district Superintendent of Police Vijay Patel said.
“Yesterday evening in the Finav Bhagol area of Mahudha, a car driver named Jigneshbhai Patel had an altercation with an auto-rickshaw driver. The rickshaw driver called his relatives and launched a deadly attack on Jigneshbhai,” Patel told reporters.
Jigneshbhai Patel sustained serious injuries in the attack and was admitted to a hospital for treatment, the SP said.
The Mahudha police registered a case in connection with the assault and initiated efforts to apprehend the accused.
Patel said notices had been issued earlier to owners of structures along the highway.
“Several encroachments had come up along the state highway maintained by the R&B department. As the encroachment removal drive was being carried out today, around 250 police personnel and 25 police officers have been deployed to maintain law and order,” he said.
Viveksinh Jam, deputy engineer of the Nadiad Road and Building division, said nearly 50 illegal commercial structures on both sides of the highway were removed during the drive.
“We had already given notices to the owners of these illegal structures to remove their encroachments which are hindering traffic on the state highway. On Tuesday, we removed nearly 50 illegal structures and cleared the road for smooth movement of vehicles,” Jam said.
According to the police, the assault followed an argument between Jigneshbhai and the auto-rickshaw driver over overtaking on Monday evening on the outskirts of Mahudha town of Kheda.
The police complaint names three accused, including the rickshaw driver Khalid Shaikh, his son Ovesh Shaikh and Khalid’s nephew Sakib Shaikh.
The Mahudha police have registered a case under Sections 109, 352 and 54 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 135 of the Gujarat Police Act.
No one has been arrested so far, police said. PTI COR PJT PD NP
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