The day after, Porbandar lawyer names former minister for murder bid.

Indian Express; Sunday , June 26 , 2011,

Rajkot : A day after he was stabbed, Porbandar-based lawyer and RTI activist on Saturday gave an application to the police, naming three BJP leaders, including former irrigation minister Babu Bokhiria, as the main conspirators and demanding their arrest.

An FIR was already registered on Friday but it did not mention the former minister’s name.

Devani is being treated for serious injuries in a hospital after being stabbed by four men near his residence at Rajivnagar in Porbandar city on Friday.

The lawyer now wants the police to act against three BJP leaders, including Bokhiria, his close associate and former Bagwadar sarpanch Vikram Odedara and Chaya Nagarpalika president Suresh Thanki.

The police, however, said the FIR had been registered and any amendments to it are legally not possible but assured to take the additional complaint by Devani into consideration during investigation.

In today’s application, Devani stated that on Friday, the police came to take his complaint soon after the attack and that he was under a state of utter shock and fear at that time. For the same, he couldn’t name conspirators when the FIR was being filed.

The application further said that the trio tried to kill him since after his complaints to Chief Minister Grievances Cell, the Gujarat High Court and Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, the construction of two buildings, including a three-star hotel at sea shore and a high-rise near airport in Chaya Nagarpalika area, came to a halt for violation of many laws including those applicable under Coastal Regulatory Zone. Devani alleged all three have stakes in both the buildings.

Porbandar SP Nilesh Jajadia said, “The FIR was registered on Friday and the suspects were arrested and produced in court. Any amendment to the FIR is impossible. But his application will definitely be considered as the main lead in investigation.’’

Meanwhile, on late Friday night, the Porbandar police arrested four persons in connection with the attack on Devani. The main accused has been identified as Lakhu Odedara, brother of Vikram, who has now been named in the additional application.

“The four were arrested from outskirts of Porbandar. A police vehicle chased them down when they were trying to flee in the Swift car used for the crime. The car has also been seized,” said local Crime Branch inspector Jaydeepsinh Sarviya.

The SP said the police had sought their remand for further leads.