Vehicle that was used to attack Joshi's Lucknow house found

Lucknow, July 20 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh police have found the car that was used to attack the Lucknow residence of Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi on the night of July 15.

Police sources said that the Toyota Qualis belongs to a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader from Varanasi, but added that he is yet to be formally identified. They said the owner of the vehicle is absconding and efforts are on to find him and verify his and the car's antecedents.

Meanwhile, a Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) probe has been ordered into the vandalism case concerning Joshi's property in the Uttar Pradesh capital.

Joshi, however, has demanded a Criminal Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.I demand a CBI probe into the incident that occurred at my house in Lucknow. The party has also demanded it because it is a state-sponsored crime," Joshi said.

"The police burned down my house. It is for sure that this involved government hand with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati"s consent. I have no hope of justice from the Uttar Pradesh Government," she added.

Joshi is expected to meet Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi, and she said: "The party is extremely concerned about my safety. They were extremely agitated about the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh."

Joshi was released from a Moradabad jail on Saturday. She had made some derogatory remarks against Mayawati at a public meeting, and was arrested in Ghaziabad on Wednesday night while she was on her way to Delhi.

She was booked under 153 A (delivering inflammatory speeches) and Section 109 of IPC (using abusive language) besides under provisions of SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act. (ANI)