A local court in Vadodara has sentenced former BJP Deputy Mayor of Vadodara Municipal Corporation, Yogesh Patel (Mukti), to six months in prison for slapping a ward officer during an anti-encroachment drive in the Karelibaug in 2014.
According to a media report, Patel faced charges of causing voluntary harm, misconduct, and obstructing a government official from performing duty during the drive.
The Chief Judicial Magistrate, A S Shaikh, reviewed statements from 16 witnesses and assessed 22 documentary and oral pieces of evidence before announcing the verdict. As a result, he has also been fined Rs 1,000.
The prosecution highlighted that as an elected representative, Patel had the responsibility to set a good example but failed to do so.
Meanwhile, the defence argued that the complainant, former Ward Officer Jagmal Nandaniya, was not present at the time of the alleged incident, the report added.
The FIR, filed at the Karelibaug police station, stated that Patel had slapped Nandaniya after he refused to comply with Patel’s demand to return street carts removed during the anti-encroachment drive, as stated in the report.
A BJP leader mentioned that he is planning to appeal the lower court’s decision.
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