Four men have been arrested for allegedly replacing a licensed firearm used in a fatal shooting during a hunting trip in Kutch with an illegal country-made gun in an attempt to mislead police and conceal evidence, the West Kutch police said on Friday.

Six other accused are yet to be arrested. The incident occurred in the Payarka area of Bhuj taluka on the night of November 3, when Kadar Hasam Jat sustained a gunshot injury to his head and died.

His death was reported as an accidental death at Mankuva police station on November 4. However, as the circumstances appeared suspicious, the Special Operations Group (SOG) and Local Crime Branch (LCB) were assigned to investigate.

According to the police, Kadar had gone hunting with Isha Husein Jat, Altaf Ramju Jat and Juma alias Rashid Umar Jat, all from Bhuj taluka. Isha had brought a gun and cartridges for hunting.

During the trip, his finger allegedly touched the trigger accidentally, causing the weapon to fire. The bullet struck Kadar, who was standing in front of him, in the head, causing fatal injuries.

The three men took Kadar to a farm belonging to a person identified as Navinbhai. Isha then informed Adam Ibhla Jat, his paternal aunt’s son, who arrived at the farm and confirmed that Kadar had died.

Altaf and Juma subsequently left the spot, police said. During the investigation, SOG Assistant Sub-Inspectors Narendra Singh Jhala and Raghuvir Singh Jadeja received information about the circumstances of the shooting.

Police first questioned Altaf and Juma, who allegedly disclosed details of the hunting trip. Further questioning of Isha led investigators to uncover an alleged conspiracy to conceal the use of the licensed firearm.

Police said Isha had obtained a licensed gun belonging to Juma Musa Jat through Adam for the hunting trip. After Kadar’s death, Isha and Adam allegedly contacted seven other men and called them to the farm.

The group allegedly decided to hide Juma Musa Jat’s licensed firearm to prevent its seizure and the cancellation of its licence.

Juma Musa Jat then contacted his friend Jakab Daud Jat, a resident of Tankanasar in Bhuj taluka, and obtained an illegal country-made gun from him.

The licensed firearm was allegedly removed and concealed, while the country-made gun was placed at the location to be presented as the weapon used in the incident if a police case was registered.

“The accused planned to create false evidence and provide misleading information to the investigating officer to divert the investigation,” police said.

The four arrested accused have been identified as Isha Husein Jat, a resident of Pirwali; Adam Ibhla Jat of Kodki; Juma Musa Jat, currently residing in Kodki and originally from Pirwali; and Jakab Daud Jat of Tankanasar.

The six accused yet to be arrested are Umar Jakab Jat of Sumrasar (Jat), Haji Sidhik Mamad Jat of Pirwali, Juma Kasam Jat of Navavas in Pirwali, Sidhik Daud Jat of Sumrasar (Jat), Ibrahim Hajisidhik Jat of Navavas in Pirwali, and Imran Daud Jat of Maina Pad. All locations are in Bhuj taluka.

The police seized six mobile phones, one firearm allegedly used in the incident and 17 cartridges. The four arrested accused and the seized articles were handed over to Mankuva police station for further legal action.

Police said Jakab Daud Jat has three previous cases registered against him at Mankuva police station.

These include a 2022 case under the Arms Act and Gujarat Police Act, another 2022 case under Sections 323, 325 and 506(2) of the Indian Penal Code, and a 2023 case under Sections 114, 294(b), 323, 324 and 506(2) of the IPC, along with Section 135 of the Gujarat Police Act.

The mini-bus involved in the devastating collision with a container truck near Assam’s Kaziranga had a history of traffic violations, with 12 challans amounting to Rs 38,500 already paid and another Rs 4,000 penalty still outstanding, officials said on Friday.

The horrific accident claimed 23 lives, Golaghat Senior Superintendent of Police Swapnanil Deka said, adding that preliminary investigations pointed to overspeeding and violation of traffic restrictions in the Kaziranga area.

According to the police, the Traveller mini-bus was moving at a very high speed before the accident.

Investigators suspect that the driver lost control of the vehicle, leading to the fatal collision with the container truck.

“The bus was running at very high speed and was violating restrictions imposed near the park. We believe the driver lost control before the vehicle collided with the container truck,” Deka said.

Police said the exact number of passengers travelling in the mini-bus was yet to be ascertained. Further details regarding the injured and the identities of all the victims are awaited.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed profound grief over the tragedy and said the devastating loss had shaken the entire state. In a post on social media platform X, the Chief Minister said the government’s immediate focus was to ensure the best possible medical treatment for those injured in the accident.

“No words can ease their pain, but they should know that they are not alone. All of Assam stands with them in this hour of grief,” Sarma said.

He added that Cabinet Minister Atul Bora, who is also the local MLA, had reached the accident site and was personally monitoring the relief and rescue arrangements.

Bora said he came across the aftermath of the tragedy while returning from Guwahati and joined residents in rushing the injured to hospitals.

The accident occurred in the Kaziranga area on Thursday.

Police are continuing their investigation to establish the precise circumstances that led to one of the region’s worst road tragedies.

Voting will be held on Saturday in the fourth phase of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj elections for Zila Parishads (district councils) in 25 districts and 116 Panchayat Samitis (block-level councils).

A total of 8,843 candidates are contesting the elections, including 1,322 candidates for 382 Zila Parishad wards and 7,521 candidates for 2,142 Panchayat Samiti wards.

As many as 10,594,285 voters will exercise their franchise in this phase. The electorate comprises 5,488,275 men and 5,105,951 women. A total of 11,905 polling booths have been established to conduct the voting.

The fourth phase has also drawn attention because several family members of prominent political leaders are contesting the elections.

Parakram Singh, son of senior BJP leader Rajendra Rathore, and his wife, Rathore’s daughter-in-law, are both contesting for Zila Parishad seats in Churu. Sons, daughters, daughters-in-law and other relatives of several political leaders are also among the candidates contesting in this phase.

Sri Ganganagar district has recorded the highest number of candidates in both Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections. For its 30 Zila Parishad wards, the highest among the districts, 101 candidates are in the fray.

Similarly, 553 candidates are contesting for 164 Panchayat Samiti wards in Sri Ganganagar, making it the district with the highest number of contestants in this category as well.

In the fourth phase, male voters outnumber female voters by 382,324. Women account for approximately 48.19 per cent of the total electorate. However, the figures tell a different story in Banswara and Pratapgarh, where female voters outnumber their male counterparts. In Banswara, there are 323,429 female voters compared to 322,180 male voters, a difference of 1,249. Similarly, Pratapgarh has 129,735 female voters, 1,358 more than the number of male voters.

In Jaipur district, voting in the fourth phase will take place across the Andhi, Bassi, Jamwaramgarh, and Tunga Panchayat Samitis. A total of 241 candidates are contesting 82 Panchayat Samiti wards, while 32 candidates are in the fray for 13 Zila Parishad wards. This brings the total number of candidates contesting elections for both bodies to 273.

The district has 407,280 registered voters, including 212,640 men and 194,640 women, with male voters exceeding female voters by 18,000. Elections will be held for Zila Parishad wards 38 to 50. A total of 446 polling stations have been established across the district.

In the fourth phase of the Panchayati Raj elections, an average of four candidates are contesting each seat across the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samitis. Sri Ganganagar has the highest number of Panchayat Samiti candidates, with 553, followed by Banswara with 518 and Karauli with 495.

Sri Ganganagar also leads in terms of polling infrastructure, with 999 polling stations. It is followed by Churu, with 689 polling stations; Banswara, with 678; and Didwana-Kuchaman, with 658.

The fourth and final phase of the Rajasthan Panchayat elections is far more than a routine electoral exercise, as it will determine the next generation of local leadership across the state’s villages.

With nearly 12.5 million (1.25 crore) voters set to participate, the political fortunes of thousands of candidates hang in the balance.