Babubhai Khimabhai Katara
Encyclopedia
Babubhai Khimabhai Katara (born January 1, 1961) is a member of the 14th Lok Sabha
of India
. He represents the reserved (Scheduled Tribe) Dohad constituency of Gujarat and is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party
. In the elections in 2004, he had won over the candidate from the Indian National Congress
with a margin of 0.07% of the popular vote; he had also won in 1999 from the same seat.
alleged to have participated in the large scale looting of Muslim establishments in Jhalod
, Gujarat, during the Gujarat Riots of 2002. A number of people were stabbed and killed, and Bhavesh Katara is alleged to have shot and killed one Yunus Yusuf Patel. The event was apparently well planned; Hindu
houses were marked by saffron flags a day in advance. It was not possible to take the injured persons to hospitals or to bury the dead because of the widespread violence.
in Delhi
as he was boarding an Air India
flight 187 to Toronto
.
He was using his family's diplomatic passports to smuggle a woman, Paramjeet Kaur, of Kapurthala
, Punjab
, to Canada
on his wife Sharadaben Katara's passport, along with her 16-year-old son Amarjeet who was posing as his younger son Rajesh. He had initially used his official clout to avoid any checking at the immigration counters, but airline officials detected that the faces did not match and CISF police personnel stationed at the airport detained him and he was arrested after interrogation.
Senior police officers told journalists
that a deal of Rs 30 Lakh
s (about USD 70,000) was struck for Babubhai to smuggle Paramjeet and her son to Canada. During interrogation by immigration officials, she allegedly stated that Rs. 15 lakhs had already been paid to Mr. Katara's secretary Rajender, who
had come to see off the three at the airport.
Apparently Paramjeet was hoping to join her husband Paramjit Singh, who was living as an
illegal immigrant in Canada, according to her mother Mohinder Kaur in the
Feroz Sangawal village near Jalandhar
. She had earlier been refused a visa, and was then trying through some influential travel agents in her area.
Subsequently, police officers alleged that on an earlier occasion also, he had taken a
woman with him on his wife's passport.
In court, when he was asked whether he had escorted other such people on his two previous visits to UK and Canada, Babubhai kept quiet. Also, Paramjeet stated in court that the boy Amarjeet was not her son.
The fact that even members of parliament with diplomatic privileges can be approached for such purposes is seen as opening a Pandora's box on corruption in the Indian political system. (See also Operation Duryodhana).
On April 18, 2007, Babubhai was suspended from the BJP political party by the party president L K Advani for indulging in Human trafficking
. This will possibly imply that he also loses his parliamentary seat.
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He represents the reserved (Scheduled Tribe) Dohad constituency of Gujarat and is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
. In the elections in 2004, he had won over the candidate from the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
with a margin of 0.07% of the popular vote; he had also won in 1999 from the same seat.
Participation in Gujarat Riots, 2002
In February–March 2002, Babubhai Katara along with his son Bhavesh Katara arealleged to have participated in the large scale looting of Muslim establishments in Jhalod
Jhalod
Jhalod is a large town of historical and commercial importance and serves as administrative headquarters of Jhalod Taluka in Dahod District, Gujarat State, India. It is situated on the eastern border of the Gujarat State, 5 km far from Kushalgarh Tehsil in Banswara District of Rajasthan State...
, Gujarat, during the Gujarat Riots of 2002. A number of people were stabbed and killed, and Bhavesh Katara is alleged to have shot and killed one Yunus Yusuf Patel. The event was apparently well planned; Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
houses were marked by saffron flags a day in advance. It was not possible to take the injured persons to hospitals or to bury the dead because of the widespread violence.
Arrested on charges of human trafficking
On April 18, 2007, Babubhai Kitara was arrested at the Indira Gandhi International AirportIndira Gandhi International Airport
Indira Gandhi International Airport is the primary international airport of the National Capital Region of Delhi, India, situated in West Delhi, 16 km southwest of New Delhi city centre. Named after Indira Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India, it is the busiest airport in India in...
in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
as he was boarding an Air India
Air India
Air India is the flag carrier airline of India. It is part of the government of India owned Air India Limited . The airline operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft serving Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. Its corporate office is located at the Air India Building at Nariman...
flight 187 to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
He was using his family's diplomatic passports to smuggle a woman, Paramjeet Kaur, of Kapurthala
Kapurthala
Kapurthala is a city in Punjab state of India. It is the administrative headquarters of Kapurthala District. It was the capital of the Kapurthala State, a princely state in British India. The secular and aesthetic mix of the city with its prominent buildings based on French and Indo-Saracenic...
, Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
, to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on his wife Sharadaben Katara's passport, along with her 16-year-old son Amarjeet who was posing as his younger son Rajesh. He had initially used his official clout to avoid any checking at the immigration counters, but airline officials detected that the faces did not match and CISF police personnel stationed at the airport detained him and he was arrested after interrogation.
Senior police officers told journalists
that a deal of Rs 30 Lakh
Lakh
A lakh is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand . It is widely used both in official and other contexts in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and is often used in Indian English.-Usage:...
s (about USD 70,000) was struck for Babubhai to smuggle Paramjeet and her son to Canada. During interrogation by immigration officials, she allegedly stated that Rs. 15 lakhs had already been paid to Mr. Katara's secretary Rajender, who
had come to see off the three at the airport.
Apparently Paramjeet was hoping to join her husband Paramjit Singh, who was living as an
illegal immigrant in Canada, according to her mother Mohinder Kaur in the
Feroz Sangawal village near Jalandhar
Jalandhar
Jalandhar is a city in Jalandhar District in the state of Punjab, India. It is located 144 km northwest of the state capital, Chandigarh...
. She had earlier been refused a visa, and was then trying through some influential travel agents in her area.
Subsequently, police officers alleged that on an earlier occasion also, he had taken a
woman with him on his wife's passport.
In court, when he was asked whether he had escorted other such people on his two previous visits to UK and Canada, Babubhai kept quiet. Also, Paramjeet stated in court that the boy Amarjeet was not her son.
The fact that even members of parliament with diplomatic privileges can be approached for such purposes is seen as opening a Pandora's box on corruption in the Indian political system. (See also Operation Duryodhana).
On April 18, 2007, Babubhai was suspended from the BJP political party by the party president L K Advani for indulging in Human trafficking
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
. This will possibly imply that he also loses his parliamentary seat.