The complainant in the dual vote case against Punjab Local Bodies Minister and senior BJP leader Anil Joshi was badly injured in a brutal attack by an armed gang in a crowded area of Amritsar on Saturday.
Sources said that Vaneet Mahajan, an advocate by profession, came under attack on court road, shortly after he and his brother had emerged from a local hotel, where he had convened a news conference.
“I have been badly injured. The attackers beat us for about 15 minutes and nobody came to our rescue and they told us you got the case registered against the minister now face the consequences,” alleged Mahajan.
He and his brother have been admitted to a private hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.
Incidentally, the other complainant in the case advocate Sandeep Gorsi had been targeted on Friday. However, the police instead of registering an FIR allegedly booked him and his friend Gurinder Rishi for attempted murder. Gorsi and Rishi were attacked by alleged supporters of the minister as they came out of a hotel after having dinner. Their car was also damaged in the violence.
Amritsar Police Commissioner Jatinder Singh Aulakh told Express, “We are recording the statement of Mahajan and soon a case will be registered under relevant Sections of the IPC. The accused will not be spared.” But he refused to comment on the case registered against Gorsi and Rishi.
Despite repeated attempts, Joshi could not be reached for his comment. It is said that he has gone ‘underground’ after a court had issued non-bailable warrants(NBW) against him. Former Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh condemned the attack on Mahajan as well as the filing of false cases against Gorsi and Congress councillor Rishi.
He pointed out that it could not be a coincidence that a false case had been registered against one of the complainants, while another complainant was attacked and seriously injured at the same time.