Under fire, Joshi denies hand in attack on lawyer
Monday, 12/05/2014
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AMRITSAR: Local bodies and medical education minister Anil Joshi has denied his involvement in the attack on city-based lawyer Vineet Mahajan and has in fact condemned the armed assault. “Whatever may be my differences with anyone, but I strongly condemn such incidents, no matter who may be the victim,” he said.
In a detailed conversation with HT over phone on Sunday, the minister said he had respect for the judiciary and was confident that he would get justice in the cases pending before the courts. “I chose to keep quiet over the issues as the matter was pending before the courts, but some people went to the media to defame me and damage my political career,” he claimed.
Joshi claimed that over the last two years, the two lawyers, Mahajan and Sandeep Gorsi, had gone all out to malign his image and damage him politically. “My name was linked to every crime that was committed or anything else that happened in the city,” he added.
He claimed that about two years ago, an undertrial died in the central jail here and in this case too, the two lawyers put the blame on him as the deceased belonged to the Amritsar North constituency, which he represented. Also, the municipal corporation on its own demolished a small but illegal portion of the marriage palace of the two lawyers and in this case too, the two blamed him, he alleged.
“Now in the ‘dual votes’ case, they have not spared even my wife, mother and other women in the family. Since the case came up, not only me but even my wife and mother have been under tremendous mental and emotional stress,” added Joshi.
He said the ‘dual votes’ case was basically between him and the state, but Mahajan and Gorsi had chosen to intervene on their own. “Does this not show that they are out to take revenge for reasons best known to them,” he said, while denying that he had ever “hurt” the two or their families.
“Now, Mahajan is attacked and again I am blamed, despite my being away from the city. Clearly, the two lawyers want to influence the judiciary so that I do not get bail (in the defamation cases). But I have faith in the judicial system,” he added.
Joshi also denied having anything to do with the attempt to murder case registered against Gorsi. “I was nowhere near the scene of the crime and yet have been blamed,” he said, hoping that the courts would take note of this.
He maintained that despite the pressure on him as a result of the recent developments, he would continue to work for the people of Amritsar. “The government has given me a responsibility and I will fulfil it,” he added.
CASE REGISTERED
Meanwhile, the police finally registered a case in the matter against unidentified persons under sections 307, 326, 324, 323, 427, 148, 149, 120B and 341 of the IPC. The case was registered late in the night on Saturday after Mahajan recorded his statement with the civil lines police authorities in hospital.
As per the statement he mentioned that he recognised one of the attackers. He identified as BJP councillor Prabhjit Singh Rataul, a close confidant of Joshi. In the statement he has alleged that the attack on him was planned to prevent him from going to court on May 12 to oppose the bail plea of Joshi.
Reiterating that those responsible for the attack would be arrested soon, police commissioner Jatinder Singh Aulakh said that while one of the attackers has been identified as Prabhjit Singh Rataul, the others are still to be identified.
