Guwahati : The sessions court in Assam’s Barpeta on Thursday reserved its order on the bail application of Independent Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani, who is presently in five-day police custody.
Mevani’s lawyer Angshuman Bora said that they submitted their arguments and urged the court to grant bail to Mevani, who’s also the Convener of Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch.
“The order has been reserved by the sessions court. We expect the court’s decision on Friday,” Bora told the media.
The 41-year-old legislator, who was elected from the Vadgam Assembly constituency, was first arrested by the Assam police on April 20 (from Gujarat) in connection with an “objectionable” tweet against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was re-arrested by the Assam police on April 25 on different charges, including “outraging the modesty of a lady police officer”.
Mevani was sent to five-day police custody by Barpeta’s chief judicial magistrate on April 26 on charges of “voluntarily causing hurt”, “criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty” and “force on a woman cop intending to outrage her modesty”.
Meanwhile, the Congress led by its senior leaders, including state unit chief Bhupen Kumar Borah and opposition leader Debabrata Saikia, on Thursday staged sit-in demonstrations against the arrest of Mevani, who had earlier pledged outside support to the party, in all the 34 districts of the state.
The police detained Congress leaders and workers at many places, but subsequently released them.
The Gujarat legislator was first arrested on April 20 following a complaint filed against him by an Assam BJP leader seeking action against Mevani under the IT Act.
–IANS