BJP trying to destroy my political career, says LoP BHOPAL: In an embarrassment for the BJP government, the man on whose complaint police filed an FIR and picked up seven of the nine accused for the attack on the CM's bus in Sidhi , showed up at the Congress office in Bhopal on Saturday to say he was beaten by police and forced to name the Congressmen."I did not see the incident. At 1:30am on September 3, I was picked-up from my home by police and taken to the police station. I was slapped and beaten and given a list of seven names to 'identify' those who hurled stones on the chief minister's bus," Sandeep Chaturvedi said at a press meet in the state capital on Saturday evening, with Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh at his side. Chaturvedi said he had "escaped" from Sidhi and that police were looking for him. "I came here to Bhaiyya (Ajay Singh) because now they want me to go to court and give the same false statement there," Chaturvedi said.Home minister Bhupendra Singh, who had called the attack a political conspiracy to assassinate CM Chouhan, rejected Chaturvedi's statement and said that the government would issue his video-recorded statement to the media. "We also have CCTV footage of two or three of the accused throwing stones," he said.On Saturday morning, Chaturvedi travelled 600km to Bhopal from his village, Hinauti, and submitted an affidavit and a complaint to DGP Rishi Kumar Shukla to withdraw his earlier statement.He was inhouse in the evening. “The chief minister’s roadshow was in Patpara at 7:30pm on September 2. I was going for work and saw the bus pass by. But I did not see anyone throwing stones,” he said, adding: “Around 1.30am on September 3, police picked me up and took me to Kamarji police station. They slapped me and beat me and then gave a list of seven names. I was forced to give a false statement.” Patpara falls in Ajay Singh’s constituency, Churhat.Chaturvedi alleged that sub-inspector Deepak Baghela told him to memorise the names on the list. “I was asked to learn those names and tell the media that I had seen them hurling stones on the chief minister’s bus,” said Chaturvedi, who works at a petrol pump owned by local BJP mandal president Manoj Singh. “I did not know these seven persons that I had to name before the media,” he said, adding that the names “given to him” were Sanjay Singh , Charan Singh, Gaurav Singh, Saurav Singh, Roshan Singh, Saurav Dwivedi and Shivendra Singh.Asked if they were Congress workers, the LoP said he knows his party workers in Churhat by face and would recognise them if he sees them. The other two arrested for attacking the CM’s bus are Ram Vilas Patel, block party chief, and Pankaj Singh, member of Congress IT cell. They have been charged for attempted murder, said Singh.“The BJP government is trying to tarnish Congress’ image and destroy my political career. I demand a judicial probe into the incident. If the chief minister wants a face-to-face fight, he should come and contest the assembly elections from Churhat this time,” the LoP said, adding that Chaturvedi will be under his protection from now on. “I am responsible for his life and safety,” he said.The home minister, however, said the truth is different. “Witness Sandeep Chaturvedi’s statement is recorded on camera. We have videographic evidence of his statement given under section 161 CrPC. He is accusing SI Deepak Baghela but Baghela was not even on duty when he gave his statement. He is withdrawing his statement because he is a resident of the same place as the accused. Sandeep Chaturvedi is under pressure from the accused. We will issue his videotaped statement tomorrow to the media,” Bhupinder Singh said.Asked about Chaturvedi’s allegations, Sidhi SP Tarun Nayak said: “I’ve no knowledge of what someone said in Bhopal. Our action is based on evidence and probe is going on as per law.”

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