Ahmedabad: Two FIRs were registered against Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani on Sunday for allegedly obstructing police personnel, creating a ruckus at police premises and violating election-related restrictions during the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation polls.
Police said the complaints were registered after polling on Oct 11 to avoid affecting the election process. The complaints, lodged at Pethapur and Sector 7 police stations, relate to separate incidents on Oct 9 in which Mevani allegedly arrived with supporters while police were questioning two men over complaints of threats against election campaigners. A resident alleged that supporters of Congress candidate Yunus Parmar threatened him on Oct 8 while he was campaigning for a BJP candidate in Ward 4’s Sanjari Park area, according to Pethapur police inspector A M Desai’s complaint. The second FIR, based on a complaint by Sector 7 police sub-inspector J H Makwana, concerns an incident at the Sector 13 police outpost around 11pm. Police had brought Munaf Pathan for questioning after a campaigner alleged that he was threatened while campaigning for Mittalba Vaghela, a candidate in Ward 44.
Desai alleged that Mevani used abusive language and tried to take Parmar away despite being told that questioning was under way. Both FIRs invoke provisions of BNS relating to unlawful assembly, obstruction of public servants and other alleged offences. The second also cites provisions of the Representation of the People Act. Police alleged that he disrupted the proceedings and attempted to take the men away before their statements could be recorded. The complainant claimed he was warned against entering the locality again. When police called Parmar for questioning the following day, Mevani allegedly entered the station’s writer’s room around 3pm with supporters, raised slogans and demanded to know why Parmar had been summoned. The complaint further alleged that Mevani and his supporters protested outside the station, raised slogans against police and made remarks that could incite the Thakor community against them. Videos of the confrontation were allegedly uploaded to Mevani’s official Instagram and Facebook accounts. Mevani allegedly arrived with supporters, including Sakir Rathod and Nasir alias Pintu Memon, shouted at police personnel and attempted to take Pathan away. The complaint also cited a social media video in which Mevani allegedly accused senior police officers of illegal activities and criticised action against junior personnel.
