Assault, extortion case: Chaitar Vasava surrenders, arrested with 4 others

Chaitar’s first wife Shakuntala, his personal assistant Jitendra Vasava and a farmer named Ramesh Vasava were earlier arrested in the case lodged on November 2. The MLA had been missing since then. Chaitar was booked in a case of assault and extortion after he allegedly threatened forest department officials and fired one round in the air with a weapon at his residence at Dediapada on October 30.

ભાજપની તાનાશાહીના કારણે હું એક મહિનાથી જનતાની વચ્ચે હાજર નથી રહી શક્યો તેનું મને દુઃખ છે.
ભાજપ વિરુદ્ધની આ લડાઈમાં જે લોકોએ મારો સાથ આપ્યો છે હું તેમનો આભાર માનું છું. અને આગળ પણ આપ સૌનો સાથ સહકાર મળશે તેની મને ખાતરી છે.@Chaitar_Vasava pic.twitter.com/aCU26BWCZn

— AAP Gujarat (@AAPGujarat) December 14, 2023

Along with Chaitar, four other accused in the case also surrendered and were arrested on Thursday. They were Ramesh Vasava’s wife, the daughter and son-in-law of another farmer, Dungarji Vasava, and a man identified as Rinkesh. With this, nine persons have been arrested in the case.

Narmada SP Prashant Sumbe told The Indian Express, “Rinkesh had brought the firearm from a room and handed it to Chaitar when he was assaulting the forest officials. We have arrested nine persons so far and are also looking for an unidentified accused.”

He added that Chaitar and the others arrested on Thursday will be produced in court on Friday. “While the rest of the accused arrested today are in Dediapada police station, we have shifted the MLA to Rajpipla to avoid any law and order problem in Dediapada, as it was crowded today due to the Thursday weekly market… miscreants could take advantage of the situation.”

AAP national joint secretary Gopal Italia, who had represented Shakuntala in court on November 3, arrived in Dediapada in support of Chaitar. Speaking to mediapersons, he said, “Chaitar was at his residence all these days, the police did not come to arrest him…”

Supporters sporting masks of Chaitar as part of the “I am Chaitar” campaign initiated in support of the MLA, gathered around his office even as several police vehicles arrived to control the crowd. (Express Photo by Bhupendra Rana)

The SP, however, termed Italia’s comment as “misleading”. “We have conducted multiple searches of the MLA’s residence and also deployed police personnel outside his house… Italia must have made the statement to mislead people but the MLA dodging arrest will be an integral part of the probe.”

Earlier in the morning, the MLA released a video through his supporters, confirming his plan to surrender. Soon after, Dediapada was turned into a fortress with heavy police deployment.

In the video, Chaitar said, “Ever since this false case has been filed against me, I have been away from my people and my family. I apologise for the same. But, today, I am appearing before the police to surrender in the case… In the 2022 elections, my voters entrusted me with 56 per cent votes. I am unlike MLAs, who sit at home after winning elections; I have been among the people and helped people as much as I could… Healthcare, education, roads, irrigation, nal se jal project, corruption in the system, administrative shortcomings, scholarships for students and the pride of tribal people, I have fought for it all. I have spoken against the Manipur violence and also the bogus government office scam in Chhota Udepur… Therefore, the BJP government could not digest my presence. They also filed a petition to disqualify me as an MLA by filing a petition in the High Court, which they lost. My victory left them in a panic mode and they conspired with this false case to pressurise me and harass my family as well.”

હું ધારાસભ્ય બન્યો ત્યારથી સતત આમ જનતાની સમસ્યાઓ માટે, યુવાનો અને ખેડૂતોની સમસ્યાઓ માટે ભાજપ સરકાર સામે લડી રહ્યો છું અને એટલે જ ભાજપ સરકાર મને ખોટા કેસમાં ફસાવી રહી છે.@Chaitar_Vasava #चैतर_वसावा_फ़ायर_भाजपा_कायर pic.twitter.com/j5FuWbWffZ

— AAP Gujarat (@AAPGujarat) December 14, 2023

Stating that he would continue fighting the legal battle, Chaitar thanked his supporters for standing by him. “Even ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, similar criminal complaints were filed against me and I was held until the end of the polls. This is a similar conspiracy… I am going to fight against this without giving in to the enticements they are offering me or the pressure they are putting on me. I am grateful for the support of the people… I am going to continue fighting for issues… be it outsourcing in jobs or Gyan Sahayak Scheme, among others. Today, I will surrender before the police. Jai Johar.”

Supporters of the first-time tribal MLA thronged his office in Dediapada town, led by Varsha and his two mothers-in-law, even as they denied being in the know of the MLA surrendering.

Supporters of the first-time tribal AAP MLA Chaitar Vasava thronged at his office in Dediapada town in anticipation of his surrender before the police on Thursday. (Express Photo by Bhupendra Rana)

Shakuntala’s mother told The Indian Express, “This is a concocted case. Chaitar is a tribal hero and he fights for the rights of tribals. My daughter (Shakuntala) has been picked up to pressurise him and to break their morale. However, this has only strengthened the resolve of the family to fight. My daughter was at home on the day of the alleged incident, where else is she expected to be? Just by being at her home does not make her a criminal.”

AAP leaders Yuvrajsinh Jadeja and Radhika Rathwa also arrived to support the MLA. Rathwa said, “AAP is prepared to back Chaitarbhai in his fight. There is a legal process that has to be followed before pronouncing him guilty. The entire tribal belt will join the campaign to make him win the Lok Sabha polls, even if he is behind bars… If Chaitarbhai had to resign from AAP and defect to the BJP or come under the pressure being put on him, he would not have left his family for over a month to fight the system.”