Mevani granted bail in Assam policewoman assault case, released

GUWAHATI: A local court Assam’s Barpeta district on Friday granted bail to Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani, who was first arrested on April 20 for alleged offensive tweets against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then again on April 25 for allegedly assaulting a policewoman, hours after he secured bail in the first case.

Barpeta district and sessions judge Aparesh Chakravarty criticised the police and urged the Gauhati high court to direct the state police force to “reform itself”.

“No sane person will ever try to outrage the modesty of a lady police officer in presence of two male police officers and there is nothing in the record to hold that the accused Shri Jignesh Mevani is an insane person,” Chakravarty, said in his bail order.

Senior advocate Angshuman Bora, who represented Mevani, informed that the legislator was released on a personal bond of ₹1,000. Completion of bail formalities is expected to take some time and Mevani is likely to get released from custody on Saturday.

Following the bail order, Mevani was released from police custody in Barpeta district on Friday evening, but since he was arrested from Kokrajhar on Monday, he will have to complete his bail formalities in that district on Saturday, Mevani’s counsels informed. The MLA will be taken to Kokrajhar and will appear in court there and sign his bail bond to be able to leave jurisdiction of that district.

“I respect Indian judiciary and knew that I will get bail sooner or later. This was a concocted case and soon the entire truth will come out during trial. I will continue my fight for truth. They wanted to crush my spirit, but they failed,” Mevani told journalists.

As per the FIR registered at Barpeta Road police station on April 21, Mevani, while being brought from Guwahati airport to Kokrajhar allegedly uttered slang directed at a woman police officer, who was present in the vehicle.