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A court in Gujarat’s Narmada district on Tuesday convicted Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Chaitar Vasava, his wife Shakuntala Vasava and seven others in a 2023 case involving the alleged assault and intimidation of forest department officials.
The nine accused were found guilty in connection with an incident that occurred in Dediapada on October 30, 2023.
The court is yet to hear arguments on sentencing, and the quantum of punishment has not been announced.
According to the prosecution, the case stemmed from action taken by forest officials against crops cultivated on forest land despite restrictions imposed by authorities.
Officials had directed villagers to remove alleged encroachments from the area.
An FIR registered at Dediapada police station on November 2, 2023, alleged that Vasava summoned five forest department officials to his residence after the action against cultivators.
Prosecutors said the officials were verbally abused and threatened, while one employee was physically assaulted.
The accused allegedly demanded compensation for villagers whose crops had been removed.
The prosecution also alleged that Vasava fired a round into the air with an unlicensed weapon. It further alleged that she threatened officials with consequences if they did not pay compensation.
The case included charges of rioting, extortion, criminal intimidation of public servants and offences under the Arms Act. Investigators further alleged that Vasava’s personal assistant repeated the compensation demand the following day.
The court convicted Shakuntala Vasava, then a Narmada District Panchayat member. It also convicted her aide, Jitendra, and villager Ramesh Vasava.
Several residents of Jhadoli and Bogaj villages were also found guilty.
Political Impact
After remaining untraceable for several weeks, Vasava surrendered on December 14, 2023, and was later granted bail. He subsequently contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Bharuch.
The conviction comes at a crucial time for the AAP in Gujarat’s tribal belt, where Vasava remains one of the party’s most prominent leaders.
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