Ahmedabad: The senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel in his defence before the Gujarat High Court on Tuesday submitted a list of 42 witnesses, including aide-de-camp (ADC) to Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala.
A petition was moved by the BJP nominee Balwantsinh Rajput against Senior Congress leader after Rajput lost to Patel in 2017 Rajya Sabha elections, Indian Express reports.
Rajput who was also Congress member had quit the party in the run-up to the polls to join saffron ruling party BJP.
The senior Congress leader has also listed the conversant officer of Vodafone telecom company among his witnesses and has sought mobile phone records of nine numbers between July 10, 2017 and August 10, 2017.
The records he sought belong to former Congress leader Shankarsinh Vaghela, his son Mahendra, petitioner Rajput, state Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama among others.
Two numbers among the list are uploaded on a website in the name of “Gokul Infracon Pvt Ltd” which Rajput is said to be one of the Directors of the firm.
The other witnesses include Chief Electoral Officer of Gujarat, Chief Secretary J N Singh, Director General of Police Shivanand Jha, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner A K Singh, the then Anand District Superintendent of Police Saurabh Singh, the then Inspector of Anand police station and several Congress MLAs, including Shaktisinh Gohil and Arjun Modhwadia among others all the names submitted in his defense in trial against him.
Justice Bela Trivedi heading the bench directed the petitioner to file an affidavit following Patel’s submission by January 28.
Justice Trivedi also refused to Patel’s lawyers plea to adjourn the case citing a petition has already been moved to SC in this case.
Rajput is likely to be cross-examined by Patel’s lawyers on February 1.