BJP MLA gets 3 months jail for rash driving

Ahmedabad, May 5: A court in Sabarkantha district of Gujarat today convicted and sentenced sitting BJP MLA Rajendrasinh Chavda to three months of imprisonment for rash and negligent driving.

Himmatnagar Judicial Magistrate First Class V C Tripathi held Chavda guilty of rash and negligent driving that endangered human life (Section 279 of Motor Vehicles Act).

Besides sentencing him to three months of jail term, the court also imposed a fine of Rs 2,600 on him.

However, the legislator was immediately released on bail by the same court after he furnished a bail bond of Rs 10,000.

The case against Chavda dates back to December 2013 when the car he was driving hit the car driven by complainant Ajay Patel.

Patel had lodged a police complaint stating that the accident had taken place as Chavda was driving negligently.

In the complaint, Patel had alleged that Chavda was drunk and driving beyond the prescribed speed limit on the wrong side of the road.

The accident caused minor injury to Patel. A case had been registered under M V Act. Chavda was elected as a Congress MLA in 2012 but joined ruling BJP in 2014.

PTI