Overview
- A sessions court in Rajpipla found Chaitar Vasava and eight co-accused guilty in the case arising from an October 30, 2023 dispute with forest officials, and several outlets reported a seven-year jail term while one reported sentencing was yet to be pronounced.
- The charges include rioting, extortion, attacking government officials and violations of the Arms Act after prosecutors say a firearm was fired to threaten forest staff and officials were forced to pay money.
- Prosecutors presented 17 witnesses plus documentary evidence, call records and bank details to link the accused to the incident, and the court accepted that evidence in its judgment.
- Defence requests to recall prosecution witnesses and to lead extra evidence were repeatedly rejected by the sessions court, the Gujarat High Court and the Supreme Court, clearing the way for the June 23 judgment.
- The verdict poses an immediate political risk for AAP in Gujarat’s tribal belt because Vasava is a prominent tribal leader and a confirmed prison sentence of two years or more would automatically disqualify him as an MLA pending appeals.