Allahabad HC reserves judgment on Joshi's petition

The Allahabad High Court today reserved its judgement on a writ petition filed by UPCC chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi seeking a CBI inquiry into the attack on her Lucknow residence and quashing of the FIR filed against her in Moradabad.
    
The judgement was reserved by a Division Bench comprising Justice Ravindra Singh and Justice Naheed Ara Moonis after hearing arguments from both sides.

While Joshi was represented in the court by her lawyer Umesh Narain Sharma, who is also the chairman of UPCC Legal Cell, Uttar Pradesh Advocate General Jyotindra Mishra and government advocate D R Chaudhary appeared on behalf of the state government.

Joshi's alleged derogatory statements against chief minister Mayawati in Moradabad on July 15 triggered a political storm. She was arrested under the SC/ST Act, besides other sections of the IPC.
    
Joshi's house in Lucknow, a stone's throw away from the Raj Bhavan, was torched by a mob late in the night.
    
Congress leaders alleged that ruling BSP workers were behind the arson though Mayawati claimed that it was "a drama enacted at the behest of the Congress high command".

The state government has ordered a CB-CID inquiry into the incident even as Joshi said that she will not accept a probe by any agency over which the Mayawati government exercised control.