Ahmedabad, September 7 (Daily Kiran) : The Gujarat High Court has granted interim bail to Chaitar Vasava, an MLA from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), enabling him to participate in the upcoming assembly session scheduled from September 9 to 11. Currently, Vasava is incarcerated at Vadodara Central Jail.
In June, a session court in Rajpipla sentenced him, his wife Shakuntala, and seven others to seven years in prison along with a fine of ₹25,000 each. The case involves allegations of assault against forest officials and extortion.
The temporary bail will remain effective for seven days, beginning from the time of his release. The High Court has imposed certain conditions, including that Vasava must stay in Gandhinagar and refrain from speaking to the public or media during this period.
After the interim bail expires, Vasava is expected to return to jail. Isudan Gadhvi, the Gujarat AAP president, stated that the court’s decision was made in light of the assembly session.
“My MLA, the esteemed Chaitar Vasava, is in jail while the assembly session is ongoing. Considering this, the High Court has granted him seven days of temporary bail with conditions,” Gadhvi remarked.
The prosecution’s case stems from an incident on October 30, 2023, when forest officials allegedly removed crops grown on government land near Bogj village in the Dediapada constituency. Following this, officials were reportedly summoned to Vasava’s home, where he allegedly threatened them, slapped one officer, and fired shots into the air. His wife is accused of extorting ₹60,000 from the officials.
The charges against Vasava include rioting, assault on a public servant, extortion, and violations under the Arms Act. His lawyers have contested the weapons charge, asserting that no weapons or ballistic reports were presented in court.
Previously, on August 24, the High Court denied Vasava’s petition for regular bail and a stay on his sentence. As of now, he has not been officially disqualified from his position as an MLA. The state government informed the court that Vasava was invited to the assembly session in accordance with legislative rules.
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