14-yr-old criminal case against Guj Law Minster dismissed

Vadodara, Jun 23 (UNI) A local court has dismissed a 14-year-old criminal case against Gujarat Law Minister Ashok Bhatt and 17 other BJP supporters after police failed to serve a court summons and execute arrest warrants against the accused over the years.

On February 25, 1993, Bhatt, who was then a BJP MLA from Ahmedabad constituency, was arrested by the GRP at Vadodara railway station along with his supporters for staging an angry demonstration in protest against the Centre's refusal to permit the party to hold 'Chetna rally'' in Delhi.

Bhatt and his sloganeering supporters were booked under section 135 of the Bombay Police Act after they violated the prohibitory orders and clashed with the police that was deployed at the station to maintain law and order.

Though the accused were chargesheeted after being enlarged on bail, none of them appeared before the trial court during the last 14 years as the State police never served the summons or executed the arrest warrants issued by the court.

Recently, the case was referred to a special Lok Adalat, which dismissed the case against the accused under section 258 CRPC describing the offence not being serious in nature.

Criticising the Narendra Modi government and the State police administration for denigrating the judiciary, Baroda Bar Association (BBA) President Narendra Tiwari today demanded re-opening of the case against State Law Minister and immediate suspension of all police officials responsible for non-serving of court summons and non-execution of warrants against the accused out of fear.

UNI