Narrating the sequence of events, Dr Goyal told mediapersons at a press conference here today that the assault on him came to light after the assailants were arrested by Rajpura Police, in connection with looting of trucks on the GT Road. Both the robbers, identified as Amit Kumar and Satnam Singh, had disclosed during interrogation that they were entrusted with the job of killing the doctor by four brothers - an advocate Tarlochan Singh, Ram Kumar Patwari, Rattan Singh and Nirmal Singh, all belonging to Thol village, the same one to which Ashok Goyal belongs, where he owns 40 acres of fertile land.

Dr Goyal alleged that a portion of land was grabbed by these four brothers and is still under their unauthorised possession. He said the brothers have been threatening him to sell the land at a throw away price. When he refused to sell the land, which is now worth crores, the four then hatched a conspiracy to eliminate him through contract killers. For this, they struck a deal with Amit and Satnam, both doing time in the central jail, for an amount of Rs 25 lakh.

Accordingly, Amit and Satnam, after they were released on interim bail, came to the doctor’s clinic on Treasury Road, Ambala City, and shot him point blank with a pistol. The doctor was saved as the pistols didn’t work properly. Both the assailants were nabbed by Rajpura Police, where the supari angle came to light.

Dr Ashok regretted that no one in the government had taken the threat to his life seriously, even though he had written to and personally approached the Chief Minister, Haryana DGP, IG, Police Range, Ambala, and also the Superintendent of Police. However, he added that on learning the sequence of events, he had been provided two security guards by the SP. But no action has been initiated against the conspirators who paid the supari, and the threats still pour in.