AHMEDABAD, NOVEMBER 8: The law is catching up with Union Minister of State for Defence Production Harin Pathak, Gujarat Health Minister Ashok Bhatt and 10 other BJP men who face the charge of murder of a head constable during the anti-reservation agitation in Ahmedabad way back in 1985.On Tuesday, a city court framed charges of murder and rioting against them. Besides Pathak and Bhatt, the accused include Kiran Shah, brother of Bimal Shah, Minister of State for Transport and Information Technology in the Keshubhai Patel Government.Charges were framed against the accused under some other sections of IPC also. The accused were present in the court and the ministers had come in private vehicles. Additional Sessions Judge Sonia Gokani fixed the next hearing for November 23. Since Public Prosecutor L H Patel did not have the original case papers, the court directed him to come with these on the next hearing.The court rejected an application, filed by an advocate, B M Gupta, seeking permission to be a party in the case. Gupta feared the case may be withdrawn ``as the accused are influential people and the PP also is a part of the state government''. The court ruled that Gupta had no locus standi in the matter.Gupta said he now planned to take the matter to the Gujarat High Court. He would also approach the Election Commission to seek action against Pathak and Bhatt.It was on April 24, 1985, that Lakshman Desai, a head constable of Ahmedabad police, was killed by a mob in Khadia area during the anti-reservation agitation, which later took a communal turn. The then Deputy Commissioner (Zone-III) of City Police J Mahapatra, who is now Police Commissioner of Vadodara, lodged an FIR with the Astodia police, naming Pathak, Bhatt, Kiran Shah and others. Cases under sections 302,307,326,333,148,149,152,153,506,186,188,120B and 134 of the Indian Penal Code and section 135/1 of the Bombay Police Act were registered against them.After investigation by Assistant Commissioner of Crime Branch P C Ganetra, the chargesheet was filed in October 1985. Since then, the case had been languishing.In the chargesheet, it was stated that Pathak, who was then a councillor in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, and Bhatt had conspired and provoked the mob, leading to the head constable's death. ``Shah was found stabbing Desai with a sharp weapon which resulted in his immediate death on the spot,'' the chargesheet said.
