In a significant development highlighting public frustration, the Surat Police Commissioner was compelled to transfer the investigation of a month-old alleged abduction case to the city's crime branch. This move came hours after members of the influential Patidar community staged a gherao (siege) of a local police station on Friday, January 3, 2026, protesting what they called blatant police inaction.
Community Outcry Leads to Action
The protest was sparked by the alleged kidnapping of a teenage minor girl over 35 days ago. Angered by the perceived lack of progress, a large gathering from the Patidar community, organized under the banner of the Patidar Seva Sangh, converged at the police station. The atmosphere was charged, with community leader Vijay Mangukiya rallying attendees to unite and fight for justice. The distressed parents of the girl were also present, making a heartfelt appeal for support from their community.
Following the protest, a delegation including the girl's parents met with the concerned police inspector to demand details of the action taken on their complaint. The pressure yielded immediate results. Surat Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut issued a written order on the same day, directing the transfer of the entire case to the Surat crime branch.
Details of the Case and Alleged Missteps
The case dates back to November 28 of the previous year, when local police registered a complaint under BNS Section 137 (2) for kidnapping against a local resident. According to Patidar Seva Sangh leader Vijay Mangukiya, the accused is a married man with two children. He claimed the community used its own resources to track the accused's mobile number and location in the Saurashtra region, which they then provided to the police.
Mangukiya alleged a critical error in the police's approach. "The details were handed over to the sub-inspector, who called up the accused and told him to come to the police station. The accused then switched off his phone and is untraceable," he stated. He argued that the police should have acted more tactfully instead of alerting the suspect. The community had also escalated the matter by making representations to Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi a day prior, on Thursday.
Official Response and Investigation Transfer
Commissioner Gahlaut's order mandated that all official documents related to the missing person case be handed over to the Surat crime branch. He instructed that an officer of Deputy Commissioner rank oversee the handover of investigations to an inspector-rank officer and supervise the entire matter. Acting swiftly on the orders, personnel from the Surat crime branch have now coordinated with the concerned police station and launched a fresh investigation into the abduction.
The incident underscores the growing tension between communities and law enforcement over the handling of sensitive cases, particularly those involving minors. It remains to be seen how the specialized crime branch unit will progress in tracing the missing girl and the accused, who is reported to be from a non-Patidar background.
