Payal Goti, a Patidar woman paraded in public during a police investigation, was granted bail on Friday by the principal district and sessions judge of Amreli after the police filed an affidavit stating she had no role in the alleged offence. Her release followed days of protests by Patidar community leaders against the police and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), particularly in Amreli district, Surat, and Saurashtra.
She was offered a job at the Amreli Jilla Madhyastha Sahakari Bank, seen as an effort to placate the influential Patidar community. BJP leader Dileep Sanghani, chairman of the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO), met Goti in jail and assured her family of support.
Goti was arrested on Saturday night, along with BJP workers Manish Vaghasia and Ashok Magroliya, and another individual, Jitu Khatra.
The police alleged that Vaghasia and his co-accused forged the letterhead of Kishor Kanpariya, president of Amreli taluka panchayat, and circulated defamatory content about BJP MLA Kaushik Vekariya, who is also the deputy whip in the state assembly. Goti was accused of typing the letter, which was then shared on social media.
The incident escalated into a political controversy after Kanpariya filed a police complaint. However, Goti’s lawyer, Sandip Pandya, argued in court that she was a mere employee working standard hours and had no access to the computer used in the alleged offence. He emphasised that she did not disseminate the letter on social media.
Pandya also highlighted procedural violations, stating that Goti’s midnight arrest breached Supreme Court guidelines that prohibit the arrest of women after sunset. The presiding judge noted the violation during the hearing. Pandya further alleged political pressure behind her arrest and claimed she was subjected to physical and mental torture while in custody.
When questioned about her silence during her initial court appearance, Pandya explained that Goti was under pressure and nervous.
The incident sparked widespread protests among the Patidar community, with leaders condemning her public parade as an “insult to the daughter of the community.” Demonstrations intensified in Surat, where many Patidars from Amreli reside.
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