Unmesh Gujarathi
Sprouts Exclusive

Justice Brijgopal Harkishan Loya, inquiring into ‘Sohrabuddin Shaikh fake Encounter case’ Gujarat communal riots, died in suspicious circumstances on first December 2014 and Union Home Minister Amit Shah remained the prime accused in the case. Shah is a powerful leader of the country and the Opposition alleges that this matter was managed by him.

However Shah’s staunch opponent late Ahmed Patel used journalists like Niranjan Takle in the case. Now they are making ‘capital’ of this episode to fill their own pockets. The Special Investigation Team of Sprouts has already made this clear earlier. Patel is not alive, but the likes of Takle refuse to shed their habit of basking in self-glory and filling their own pockets.

Takle has written a book on Loya’s suspicious death. But far from Loya’s family getting justice and relief, Takle has been involved in earning money by selling his book to seek cheap publicity. The casual reading of the book makes this abundantly clear.

The book is nothing but self-publicity for Takle. It contains the information provided by the Loya family and what has already been published by other media houses. This is nothing but yellow journalism.

A ‘sale’ of evidence

Takle claims that his book contains a lot of evidence and proof. However, his claim is ridiculous. The accused is a powerful and well-connected political leader. How would he leave evidence and loose ends behind, after committing the crime?

The book contains a letter written by Loya’s son to his auntie (Anuradha Biyani) and the bill of the hospital where Loya was admitted. These things have been given by the Loya family. What is the big idea of claiming this material as evidence?

.Loya’s post-mortem and viscera report has also been published in the book. These reports were submitted by Public Prosecutors to the court long back. By now they are public property. What type of investigative journalism is this?

Imaginative stories about the purported attack on Takle

Takle has claimed that he faced three attacks in this case. But these claims are baseless. Neither FIR nor NC has been registered by him with any police station. Then when and where he was attacked? In one case Takle claims that his witness, aide was not in the car. In another case, the witness was sleeping. As such he boldly took on the goons single-handedly. But surprisingly there was not even a scratch on his body.

In another imaginative story, Takle claims that during a life-threatening attack, he took out a hockey stick kept in his car and fought with attackers, and drove them away. In yet another case in Nagpur, the attacker came on a motorbike and attacked him. He also told him “Jyada Shana Mat Ban, Chale Ja” (“don’t become over-wise, get lost”). But Takle claims that he not only returned the attack but sat on the attacker’s motorbike. Due to this, the attacker ran away.

What has been narrated by Takle in his book is baseless. Basically, the prime accused Amit Shah is a Union Home Minister, who has cut to size his several opponents including Devendra Fadnavis, who is also in the race for prime ministership.

Takle’s book, a bundle of lies

Amit Shah wields tremendous power and his opponents look at him with awe. Will he indulge in such so-called attacks? Even those running ‘gambling’ and ‘mataka’ joints in rural areas do not attack the journalists. Eventually, Takle emerges as a hero facing attacks in Bhojpuri and Tamil films.

In short, Takle’s book is a bundle of lies and imaginative stories. The stories may appear interesting but they are unreliable. The book is just an attempt to hoodwink readers and earn money. This can be described as an attempt to rob a coffin.