Narmada: The bail plea of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Gujarat working president and Dediapada MLA Chaitar Vasava was reeject by a local court on Tuesday. Vasava was sent to judicial custody by the court on Monday. This decision came after the three-day police remand of the MLA was over in the case of extortion and assault against forest officials.

Chaitar, who was on the run for over a month, surrendered on December 14 and, on the same day, filed a bail plea in court. Despite the police’s request for a ten-day extension of MLA’s custody to retrieve the alleged firearm used to intimidate forest officials, the court dismissed the plea. Consequently, Chaitar, along with four others arrested on December 14, was sent to judicial custody at the sub-jail in Rajpipla. This is where Chaitar’s wife Shakuntala, personal assistant Jitendra, and a farmer named Ramesh Vasava have been held since their arrest on November 3.

The police had sought an extension of the remand, citing the reconstruction of the crime at Chaitar’s residence and the recovery of the “remaining extortion money” amounting to Rs 30,000. The prosecutor informed the court that this sum was part of the Rs 60,000 allegedly extorted from forest officials on October 30. However, the firearm supposedly used by Chaitar to fire warning shots into the air, threatening the officials, is still missing.

Gopal Italia, AAP national joint secretary and Chaitar’s legal representative, stated that the Dediapada court heard arguments from both sides, ultimately rejecting the police’s remand extension request. Chaitar and the others were placed in judicial custody, and a bail plea was submitted. DeshGujarat