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Case against Pathak, Bhatt to come up on Nov 23

Additional Sessions judge Sonia Gokani fixed the next hearing in the case of rioting and murder against Gujarat Health Minister Ashok Bhatt and Union Minister of State for Defence Production Harin Pathak for November 23.

On April 25, 1985, Laxman Desai, a head constable, was killed by a mob in Khadia area of Ahmedabad during anti-reservation agitation.

The First Information Report filed with the Astodia police station named Ashok Bhatt, Harin Pathak and Kiran Shah, brother of Bimal Shah, minister of State for Transport and Information Technology, as the men responsible for instigating the mob.

According to advocate B M Gupta, during the riots, State Reserve Police had fired on an aggressive crowd, which resulted in the death of Atul Modi.

The Ahmedabad High Court ordered an inquiry into the incident. When investigators visited Khadia, a communally-sensitive area in the walled-city, a crowd gheraoed them. According to charges, Pathak and Bhatt , who were present on the spot, gave inflammatory speeches, which provoked the crowd.

In that charged atmosphere, someone stabbed a home guard Ratilal. Desai, who tried to rescue Ratilal, was stabbed to death.

Bhatt denied the charges. "Our agitation was against police atrocities. It's wrong to allege that we provoked the crowd. This is my third term as minister. I have never put any pressure to withdraw the case. The case got delayed because one of the accused filed a case in high court. Now, he is dead and even his advocate died. So the HC sent the case to the lower court."

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