AHMEDABAD, May 1: The mob attack on State Industries Minister Dilip Parikh on Monday took a curious turn with the death of a constable, Shatubhai Balubha, at the V S Hospital here on Wednesday.

Both the Rashtriya Janata Party (RJP) and the Congress have traded charges and counter-charges over the incident. The former has accused the Congress of orchestrating the assault. On the other hand, Ahmedabad District Congress chief Motibhai Chavda has alleged that the assault on Parikh was planned to malign the Congress in the taluka.

Chavda gave another twist to the incident with his allegation that Balubha had succumbed to injuries caused when he was allegedly run over by Parikh's car, and not because he was injured in the mob attack as claimed.

According to police reports, Balubha, 47, a head constable at the Dhandhuka police station, was one of the three policemen injured when an unruly mob assaulted Parikh's car near Nava Navda village in Dhandhuka taluka. He had received serious injuries on his midriff and head. The Minister, who was returning from a function at Barvada village, escaped unhurt while his personal secretary, a mamlatdar and a taluka development officer were also injured in the attack.

Reports said the crowd smashed the windowpanes of Parikh's car with stones and sticks. When the police escort in the Gypsy intervened, they were also subjected to heavy stone pelting. Cases have been registered against eight persons who were identified in the attack and a number of unidentified assailants.

The RJP convener of Dhandhuka taluka, Sahdevsinh Chudasama, alleged that the assailants were led by Congress leader Karsanbhai Koli. He said the attack was a sequel to a heated argument between RJP worker Vaghabhai Mori and Koli over the trouble that erupted during the recent taluka panchayat elections.

Political rivalry between the Congress and the RJP in the taluka panchayat body is a well established fact. Chavda alleged that Mori had asked the policemen to resort to lathi-charge and to open fire to scare away Congressmen who had gone to meet Parikh.

Incidentally, Congress workers claimed they went to the function to complain about Mori's assault on Karsanbhai Chauhan, the panchayat president of the Congress controlled Dhandhuka taluka near Barvada village.

According to Chavda, the police refused to register their complaint against Mori. He pointed out that Mori, who belongs to the Vaghela faction, is a strong supporter of Dilip Parikh.

Despite Parikh's political support, Mori's candidates suffered a severe defeat at the hands of the Congress in the taluka panchayat elections, held last year. Both the Minister and his protege could not prevent the Congress from securing a majority, thereby foiling their plans to make Mori the taluka panchayat president.

Following the attack on the Minister, police allegedly terrorised residents of Juna Navada village on Monday night. A complaint was filed against the police attack, claimed Chavda. A separate complaint filed by three women alleged that SRP jawans attacked them after breaking open their doors.

Meanwhile, Parikh visited the hospital yesterday and announced immediate relief of Rs 5,000 to the constable's family.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.