Indore (Madhya Pradesh): State Congress president Jitu Patwari while condemning the filing of an attempt to murder case against Chintu Chouksey claimed here on Friday that the case is politically motivated and alleged that the Leader of the Opposition in the Indore Municipal Corporation has been targeted for uncovering a massive Rs 2,000 crore corruption scam involving civic officials, elected representatives, and bureaucrats.
Chouksey has been booked under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (attempt to murder).
Patwari on Friday appeared in Indore District Court on Friday in connection with a case filed during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The Chhoti Gwaltoli Police had charged Patwari and other Congress leaders with disrupting government work by organising a protest during the Sanwer Assembly by-election period.
“Chintu raised a critical issue that over 2,000 Indore Municipal Corporation employees are reportedly posted at the residences of officers and political leaders, while their salaries are paid from public funds. Instead of investigating this serious misuse of taxpayer money, the government has filed a case against him,” Patwari said.
Speaking to reporters after his court appearance, Patwari said, “We were fulfilling our duty as the opposition during a time of crisis. People were dying for want of hospital beds and oxygen. We protested to hold the government accountable, and now we are being dragged to court for it.”
Advocate Santosh Yadav said that the court is also hearing a case from 2018, when a Congress supporter was issued a district ban. Protests followed, and party leaders submitted a memorandum to the DIG. Several warrants were issued in response.
On Friday, the court also reviewed bail applications of 15–16 Congress leaders, including Vinay Bakliwal and former Congress leader Pankaj Sanghvi.
