Gujarat HC Denies Bail to AAP MLA Chaitar Vasava in Forest Officials Assault Case

Gandhinagar: The Gujarat High Court on Monday rejected the bail plea of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Chaitar Vasava in an assault and extortion case in which a sessions court had sentenced him and eight others to seven years in prison.

A single bench of Justice Vimal K Vyas dismissed his plea seeking suspension of the sentence, observing that as an elected MLA, Vasava should have encouraged the aggrieved parties to pursue legal remedies instead of allegedly intimidating and coercing government officials.

The court noted that Vasava had arranged and paid compensation to people accused of encroaching on forest land and carrying out unauthorised cultivation. It said such conduct raised questions about the propriety expected from a person holding public office.

The High Court also observed that Vasava had allegedly violated a condition imposed while granting him bail in another case, which prohibited him from misusing his liberty. Despite the condition, he allegedly continued to involve himself in offences for the benefit of his supporters.

The court said such behaviour could not be considered appropriate for a person holding the office of an MLA. It further observed that granting bail and suspending the sentence in such circumstances could create a perception that people in positions of power were beyond the reach of the law.

On June 23, a sessions court in Rajpipla sentenced Vasava, his wife Shakuntalaben, his personal assistant and six others to seven years of rigorous imprisonment in the 2023 case involving the assault of forest officials and alleged extortion. Meanwhile, Vasava has not yet been disqualified from the state Assembly. DeshGujarat