Assam: Jignesh Mevani gets bail in assault case

Mevani was rearrested this week after getting bail in Kokrajhar in a separate case related to alleged offensive tweets targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Published on: Apr 29, 2022, 16:08:32 IST

By Utpal Parashar

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GUWAHATI: A court in Assam’s Barpeta district on Friday granted bail to Gujarat lawmaker Jignesh Mevani, who was arrested this week for allegedly assaulting a policewoman. Mevani was rearrested after getting bail in Kokrajhar in a separate case related to alleged offensive tweets targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Gujarat lawmaker Jignesh Mevani. (/HT PHOTO)

“The district and sessions court [Barpeta] granted bail to Mevani on a bond of ₹1,000. Further details of the bail order are awaited,” Mevani’s lawyer Angshuman Bora said.

Mevani’s lawyers on Thursday moved a fresh bail petition in the Barpeta court, which reserved its order until Friday. On Tuesday, Mevani was remanded in five-day police custody.

The second case against Mevani, who is the convener of Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch and supported Congress last year, was registered in Barpeta on April 21 under the Indian Penal Code’s Sections 294 (singing, reciting, uttering obscene song, ballad, or words in or near a public place), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty) and 354 (assault or criminal force on woman).

Mevani, 41, allegedly used slang words against the policewoman on April 21 while the lawmaker was being brought from the Guwahati airport to Kokrajhar. He was arrested from Gujarat’s Palanpur on April 20 and brought to Guwahati the next day. Mevani, a legislator from Vadgam, and taken to Kokrajhar, where ruling Bharatiya Janata Party functionary Arup Kumar Dey filed the case related to alleged tweets against Modi.

Mevani was sent in three-day police remand on April 21 and a day’s judicial remand on April 24 before he was rearrested in connection with the second case.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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