<p>Nagpur Mayor and BJP leader Sandip Joshi (49) was attacked by unidentified assailants around midnight December 17.</p>.<p>Joshi is a trusted lieutenant of Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis.</p>.<p>Two unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle fired at Joshi while he was travelling in his SUV near the Jamtha Cricket Stadium on the Wardha Road, nearly 20-25 km away from main Nagpur city.</p>.<p>The incident comes at a time when the Winter Session of the Maharashtra legislature is underway in Nagpur, the winter capital of the state.</p>.<p>"If Mayor is not safe, how will law and order machinery run... We demand that the accused are arrested at the earliest," Fadnavis told reporters in the Vidhan Bhavan complex.</p>.<p>"This is a very serious issue," he added.</p>.<p>Joshi has received threats in the past.</p>.<p>"Yes... I had received threats, may be because of the anti-encroachment drive that we are carrying out... That's what the police is suspecting and told me," said Joshi.</p>.<p>The firing took place when Joshi was returning from a dinner organised on occasion of his wedding anniversary. </p>.<p>Three rounds were fired— one hit the window on driver's side, another in the middle section and third in the rear glass.</p>.<p>Joshi was himself at the wheels and escaped unhurt.</p>.<p>He has now been given a security cover.</p>.<p>The Nagpur City Police and Nagpur Rural Police are investigating the incident.</p>.<p>He had received two threat letters— one dropped in a complaint box of Sadar office of Nagpur Municipal Corporation and another at his residence.</p>.<p>Asked whether there is political rivalry, Joshi said that all parties have supported the anti-encroachment drive.</p>.<p>Joint Commissioner of Police Ravindra Kadam said that police has secured CCTV footage of the dhaba where the Joshi family and their friends had dinner.</p>
<p>Nagpur Mayor and BJP leader Sandip Joshi (49) was attacked by unidentified assailants around midnight December 17.</p>.<p>Joshi is a trusted lieutenant of Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis.</p>.<p>Two unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle fired at Joshi while he was travelling in his SUV near the Jamtha Cricket Stadium on the Wardha Road, nearly 20-25 km away from main Nagpur city.</p>.<p>The incident comes at a time when the Winter Session of the Maharashtra legislature is underway in Nagpur, the winter capital of the state.</p>.<p>"If Mayor is not safe, how will law and order machinery run... We demand that the accused are arrested at the earliest," Fadnavis told reporters in the Vidhan Bhavan complex.</p>.<p>"This is a very serious issue," he added.</p>.<p>Joshi has received threats in the past.</p>.<p>"Yes... I had received threats, may be because of the anti-encroachment drive that we are carrying out... That's what the police is suspecting and told me," said Joshi.</p>.<p>The firing took place when Joshi was returning from a dinner organised on occasion of his wedding anniversary. </p>.<p>Three rounds were fired— one hit the window on driver's side, another in the middle section and third in the rear glass.</p>.<p>Joshi was himself at the wheels and escaped unhurt.</p>.<p>He has now been given a security cover.</p>.<p>The Nagpur City Police and Nagpur Rural Police are investigating the incident.</p>.<p>He had received two threat letters— one dropped in a complaint box of Sadar office of Nagpur Municipal Corporation and another at his residence.</p>.<p>Asked whether there is political rivalry, Joshi said that all parties have supported the anti-encroachment drive.</p>.<p>Joint Commissioner of Police Ravindra Kadam said that police has secured CCTV footage of the dhaba where the Joshi family and their friends had dinner.</p>
