Gujarat BJP MLA arrested in firing at polling booth case

Ahmedabad: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Jetha Bharwad from Gujarat was on Friday arrested by the police in connection with a case of firing during the second phase of the recently concluded assembly elections.

Bharwad, an MLA from Shehra in in Panchmahal district, had earlier filed a plea seeking anticipatory bail, which was rejected by the Sessions Court. Bharwad had been absconding since the incident.

District Judge DT Soni, after hearing the arguments from all the parties, said, "Following the court order, investigating officer of the case has taken him (Bharwad) under arrest and within 24 hours of his arrest he will be produced before the court where further proceedings will be taken up," Superintendent of Police, Panchmahal, Sachin Badshah said.

Bharwad and nine others were allegedly involved in an incident of firing eight rounds from the gun of his bodyguard at a polling booth.

An FIR had been registered against Bharwad and nine others, who were allegedly involved in an incident of firing eight rounds from the gun of his bodyguard at a polling booth in Tarsang village of Sahera, during the second phase of polling in Gujarat on December 17. Four people had sustained injuries in the firing.

The MLA was absconding since December 18 when he escaped from a private hospital in Ahmedabad, where he was brought under detention with the police escort for CT-scan, after he sustained injuries at Tarsang village. For this, the authorities have suspended eight policemen, including one police inspector, for dereliction of duty.

Bharwad got elected again from the Sahera seat by defeating Congress candidate by 28,725 votes. The BJP MLA also courted a controversy when he was allegedly seen watching pornographic pictures in the state Assembly earlier in 2012.

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