A TV journalist for a local channel in Danta area of Palanpur district was assaulted by around 15 people on Tuesday. The journalist and his brother have been admitted to hospital.
The accused, who include relatives of sitting BJP MLA Mafatlal Purohit, have filed a cross-complaint against the journalist.
Talking to DNA, Devendra Khandelwal (34), the journalist, said he had shot footage of an illegal construction site near Pathawada village on National Highway number 8 in Dantali taluka of Palanpur.
"I shot a board saying any construction at the site is illegal," said Khandelwal, who also recorded building activity being carried out on a portion of the land.
In his police complaint, Khandelwal has told the police he was attacked by a group of people on Tuesday morning. Khandelwal says that evening he was again attacked by the same people in the market area. His brother, who was with him, was seriously injured and had to be admitted to the intensive care unit of a nearby hospital.
Khandelwal said the group included relatives of BJP MLA Mafatlal Purohit."They attacked me with iron pipes and sticks around 4.30 pm in the Pathawada market," he said.
The police have registered a complaint of assault and a cross-complaint by the accused in the case has also been filed against Khandelwal at Pathawada police station. Khandelwal has named Rama Purohit (35), Arvind Purohit (30), Naran Devda (38), Natwar Purohit (32) and Amrat Purohit (35), besides 10 others.
Mafatlal Purohit told DNA Khandelwal was trying to defame him."The journalist along with his friend came to attack the land contractor, Rama Purohit, who eventually took the weapons from him and beat him in the market area of Pathawada," Purohit said.
He also said the journalist had been trying to build a false case by placing the board citing construction on the land as illegal. Rama is named as key accused in Khandelwal"™s complaint.