Aam Aadmi Party MLA Chaitar Vasava has been arrested while surrendering in Gujarat

Chaitar Baswa. File | Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy: X/@Chaitar_Vasava

“Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Chaitar Vasava and around 100 of his supporters were detained in Gujarat’s Narmada district on Tuesday (December 17, 2024) when he was on his way to surrender at a police station in neighboring Bharuch,” officials said.

Inspector Prakash Pandey of Dediapada police station said, “As the MLA went to appear before the police without notice, he was taken into preventive custody due to law and order concerns.”

“Keeping in mind the law and order concerns, we detained Basava and about 100 of his supporters at Navagam on their way to a police station in Ankleshwar in connection with an FIR registered against the MLA on December 10,” Mr. Pandya said. .

Tribal leader Mr. Vasava was booked on December 3, 2024 for unauthorized entry into the premises of an industrial unit at Ankleshwar GIDC (Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation) in Bharuch district, soon after a boiler explosion occurred there along with his supporters. Four workers were killed.

In an FIR registered at the Ankleshwar GIDC police station on December 10, 2024, Mr. Vasava was charged under the Indian Code of Criminal Procedure sections related to obstructing public servants, threatening to injure a public servant, criminal trespass and wrongful control.

The FIR stated that Mr. Vasabha and his supporters had entered the factory premises, despite being stopped from doing so, as rescue operations were underway.

“They visited the relatives of the deceased workers and prevented the police and other officials from performing their duties and even threatened the factory workers. They also incited the workers’ relatives against the police and the government,” the FIR said.

Reacting to his detention, Mr Wasawa said he was going to appear before the police in connection with the FIR as he had been “wrongfully implicated”. “The police can jail them if they want. I am here to get justice for the people and will fight till my last breath,” he said.

The AAP MLA also questioned the “obligation” of the police who booked them in the case. Referring to another FIR registered against him at the Rajpardi police station in Bharuch on December 7, Mr. Vasawa alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was running a “dictatorial” government.

“We were registered for a peaceful protest march, but we will not be intimidated,” he said. Mr. Vasava is MLA from Dediapada in Narmada district. Earlier this year, he unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections from the Bharuch seat.