Bhanwari Devi case: Maderna supporters attack mediapersons

The incident comes a day after Madernas wife Leela had accused the media

Supporters of sacked Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna,accused in the Bhanwari Devi disappearance case,attacked mediapersons on Sunday morning outside the Mathura Das Mathur Hospital in Jodhpur,where Maderna is currently admitted.

The incident comes a day after Madernas wife Leela had accused the media of maligning her husband after a local television channel recently aired a CD footage allegedly showing Maderna and Devi in a compromising position.

Jodhpur Deputy Commissioner of Police Deepak Kumar said a case of rioting and intimidation had been registered against unknown persons immediately after the incident. The fracas began outside the hospital where Maderna has been admitted and several mediapersons were outside. The complainant,a reporter from TV Today,has stated that at least 25 to 30 people began manhandling them,snatched microphones and cameras and even threw stones at their vehicles and OB vans, Kumar said,adding that the police were viewing CCTV footage to identify the culprits.

Following the incident,extra police personnel were deployed across Jodhpur,particularly outside the MDM Hospital,to avoid any untoward incident. Senior police officers said following Madernas questioning by the CBI and subsequent health concerns,several of his supporters from in and around Jodhpur had descended on the city in a show of solidarity.

In Jaipur,members of the Jaipur Press Club staged a sit-in demonstration outside state Home Minister Shanti Dhariwals house demanding that a case be registered against Leela Maderna for inciting supporters against the media. Leela Maderna had yesterday made some comments against the media,inciting her supporters. We demand action from the government against those responsible for this attack against the media, said press club president L L Sharma.

Following two rounds of questioning by the CBI in connection with the case and the state Congress Committee suspending his membership from the party,Maderna had complained of chest pain and sweating on Saturday night and was admitted to the MDM Hospital. Last week,Maderna had conceded he knew Devi.