Haren Pandya had many enemies. The extortion gangsters of Porbandar he had pursued as Gujarat's home minister in the Keshubhai Patel government and the land sharks he eliminated during his stint as revenue minister in the first Narendra Modi regime. He was also accused of leading an attack on a place of worship during the post-Godhra carnage in the state last year. Even Chief Minister Modi is said to have no love lost for Pandya, whom he accused of deposing against the state government before a human rights organisation which was probing the communal riots.

LAST RITES: There was anti-Modi slogan-shouting at Pandya's funeral

On March 26, 42-year-old Pandya, as was his routine, drove to the Law Gardens in Ahmedabad for a morning walk. Two hours later, his body was found in the Maruti 800 that he had driven himself. His body had taken five bullets. Though he was shot at about 7.40 a.m., his body lay in the car for over 90 minutes before passersby identified him and informed the local BJP leaders. A bullet mark on his right palm indicated he had tried to evade the attack. Though nobody claims to have seen the killers, police say they have identified a couple of witnesses who are now being interrogated. From the manner of the killing-similar to the attack on state VHP leader Jaideep Patel who was shot in his car during last year's poll campaign-the police believe it could be revenge killing. "It appears the killers have drawn up a list of Sangh Parivar activists. Similar attacks cannot be ruled out in future," says a senior police official.

With Pandya's murder, Modi's popularity, unrivalled in the state in recent times, is being put to the test. Indications of this were in plenty at the hospital where Pandya's body was kept. His supporters voiced anti-Modi slogans on one of those rare occasions when Modi had to endure sloganeering from a Hindu group.

Pandya's disregard for his personal security was well known. Even at the height of his campaign against Gujarat's notorious landsharks, he preferred to go unaccompanied for his morning walk. He was an easy target, and an ideal one. On the day of his murder, the BJP high command had just cleared his name for a central party post.

The Modi Government has ordered a CBIi probe into the case. The state's Special Secretary (home) K. Nityanandam clarified that Pandya had not demanded security cover nor had the Government perceived a possible threat. The VHP called for a statewide bandh and surprisingly it found support from the Congress too.

Pandya's murder. coming as it did on the heels of the attacks on two VHP leaders of the state, shows that the bloody chapter that began with the killing of 58 Hindus on the Sabarmati Express in February 2002 has not ended as yet.