Vadodara Congress corporator Ashish Joshi arrested in liquor case, his lawyer says political vendetta
His counsel says will challenge arrest, cites 'no summons', main accused out on bail without police custody
Ashish Joshi in police custody on Wednesday. (Express photo) A court in Bodeli in Chhota Udepur district on Thursday remanded newly-elected Congress corporator of Ward 15 of Vadodara Municipal Corporation Ashish Joshi, a former BJP leader, to one-day police custody in a case registered under Prohibition Act that has rapidly snowballed into a political flashpoint.
Joshi, who has alleged a conspiracy and political vendetta to silence him, was arrested by officers of the Sankheda police station after being detained by Ramol police in Ahmedabad at 11pm on Wednesday.
The arrest comes about a fortnight after the Sankheda police station lodged an FIR on April 24, in a Prohibition case, in which it arrested a man named Pramod Pandey, who was allegedly detained with 25 boxes of foreign liquor in a vehicle near Bahadurpur in Sankheda. As per the police case, Pandey named Ashish Joshi, alleging that the liquor was ordered by him. The FIR was lodged a day ahead of the local body polls. Joshi, who was suspended by the BJP in May last year, contested and won on a Congress ticket. Joshi’ suspension had come months after he publicly backed families of the Harni boat tragedy.
According to police, a patrol team had intercepted a Maruti van transporting foreign liquor near Dabhoi on April 23. Police said 299 bottles of liquor worth nearly Rs 3 lakh were seized from the vehicle. The driver, Pramod Pandey, allegedly told investigators that the consignment was meant for Joshi, who, at that time, was canvassing for the VMC polls. The police have also claimed that call records showed contact between Pandey and Joshi.
Joshi’s counsel, advocate Hitesh Gupta, who moved a petition before the Gujarat High Court earlier this month seeking quashing of the FIR, has denied the allegations.
“In the petition before the HC, we have stated that Ashish Joshi has no connection whatsoever with the co-accused, the vehicle, or the seized liquor. His implication is based solely on an alleged confessional statement made before police, which is legally inadmissible… The FIR was registered barely 48 hours before polling in the Vadodara civic elections as part of a politically motivated conspiracy to damage his electoral prospects… There is only phone contact cited by the police, which was a courtesy call that Joshi had made to the person after noticing several missed calls from his number. The short outgoing call with no conversation of any manner is being relied upon in the case.”
Gupta, who argued in the Bodeli court to oppose the police remand application on Thursday, said that the arrest itself was “illegal”.
“We will challenge the arrest. The process of issuing summons to the accused to remain present for investigation in this case was not followed before arresting Joshi… Moreover, he had recorded a statement on May 11 and he was ready to cooperate with the investigators… Moreover, the main accused, who was arrested with the liquor in his possession, had been granted bail without seeking remand but the police have sought three-day remand of Joshi”
The Chhota Udepur district police, in its remand application on Thursday, stated that it needed Joshi’s custody to ascertain the “owner of the vehicle” from which the liquor had been seized as well as “the source from where it was procured”.
The case has drawn political attention because of Joshi’s recent switch over to the Congress — several months after being suspended by the BJP and his vocal role in seeking accountability in the January 2024 Harni Boat tragedy that killed 14 persons, including 12 students and two teachers, who were on a school picnic at the Lake Zone in Vadodara city. Joshi, once a BJP corporator, was suspended from the party days after two mothers who lost children in the Harni Boat tragedy publicly questioned Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel at an event in Vadodara.
In his High Court plea, Joshi has also alleged political vendetta and claimed that state machinery was being misused to target him because of his growing popularity and rivalry with local BJP leaders. Joshi has also stated that he submitted a detailed representation on May 1 to the Chief Minister, Home Minister, Human Rights Commission, Director General of Police and other authorities alleging false implication and political conspiracy, and voluntarily offered to undergo scientific tests, including a Narco Analysis Test, to prove his innocence.
In its suspension letter dated May 9, the BJP accused Joshi of repeatedly damaging the party’s image despite warnings and show-cause notices. The action came shortly after Joshi appeared in an interview on a social media channel where he strongly criticised delays in naming VMC officials as accused in the Harni tragedy case.
Ward 15, from where Joshi has won with a thumping majority, is home to many of the Harni tragedy victims’ families. The ward had also recorded the highest voter turnout of 54.92% in the April 26 VMC elections.
Officials of the Chhota Udepur district police as well as leaders of the BJP were unavailable for comment. Congress leader and veteran VMC Corporator Chandrakant Shrivastav told The Indian Express, “Anyone can make accusations against an elected representative. Accusation is one thing… but have the police conducted an inquiry to understand Joshi’s involvement? Does he have such antecedents or any criminal case against him? His only fault in the eyes of those in power is that he has been raising his voice for justice in the Harni Boat tragedy. If anyone is speaking against injustice, he is suppressed… No one can speak against the government. It is shameful for the ruling party and it is a moment when people must unite for justice and democracy.”
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