BJP leader arrested for alleged molestation on flight

Ahmedabad:  Sardarnagar police here today arrested a Gandhinagar-based BJP leader for allegedly molesting a 13-year-old girl on board a Goa-Ahmedabad flight of IndiGo Airlines on May 29. Ashok Makwana, the accused, is a labour contractor. Based on a complaint filed by the girl's parents, police today arrested the 41-year-old Makwana, said inspector V R Patel of Sardarnagar police station. Makwana has been booked under section 354-A of IPC (sexual harassment) and sections 11 and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The FIR lodged by the parents on Sunday said a male passenger sitting next to the girl sexually harassed her during the journey. "She was not accompanied by anyone during the journey. She boarded the flight around midnight and landed here in the wee hours of Sunday. It is alleged that Makwana tried to touch her indecently several times and made some inappropriate gestures during the journey," inspector Patel said. "After she told her parents about the ordeal on reaching home, they lodged FIR against an unidentified passenger. We got the list of passengers and zeroed in on Makwana," he said. President of Gandhinagar unit of BJP, Mahendra Patel, confirmed Makwana's association with BJP. "Makwana was offered the post of vice president of city unit recently but he declined citing his busy schedule. At present he is not holding any post in the party," he said. State BJP general secretary K C Patel assured action against Makwana. "Party has taken cognisance of the issue and we will take action against him," he said.