Gujarat MP Kachhadiya sentenced to 3 year jail term and fined Rs.35,000 for assaulting doctor
An Amreli sessions court in Gujarat has sentenced BJP MP Naran Kachhadiya to a 3 year jail term and has fined him Rs.35,000 for assaulting a doctor in 2013. The court has stayed the sentence for a month for Kachhadiya and others convicted in the case to make their defense.While the conviction has been stayed, under the new rules Kachhadiya faces disqualification as a Member of Parliament for his behaviour.
The special court at Amreli found Kachhadiya guilty of assaulting Dr Dhanji Dabhi in Civil Hospital on January 1, 2013. While the case was case was registered under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the IPC, the MP was acquitted from these charges but has been charged with ‘ imprisonment for ‘voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant doing his duty’, and ‘using force or violence through unlawful assembly’.
Others convicted are Kachhadiya’s driver Ramesh and three others—Kirit Vamja, Madhuben Joshi and her son Ravi Joshi who were found guilty of illegal assembly and sentenced them to six months of imprisonment.
Reports state that, on January 1, 2013 Madhuben Joshi (then president of BJP Women’s wing in Amrely) had gone with her son Ravi who had been beaten up. Medical officer, Dr Dabhi who was attending to another patient asked Madhuben and Ravi to wait. Madhuben immediately called up Kachhadiya who was a sitting BJP MP even then. Kachhadiya tried calling Dr. Dabhi but he didn’t respond. After a short while the MP came to the hospital and assaulted Dr. Dabhi and hurled caste abuses as he belonged to the scheduled caste.
MP claims innocence
Kachhadiya now claims innocence in the case and looks to challenge the verdict in court. He also claims that while Madhuben Joshi and her son Ravi were at the hospital, he does not know what transpired before he reached the hospital. He also stated that he did not know Dr. Babhi. Kachhadiya also claims that Dr. Babhi had stated to the court that a compromise had been reached. He wonders how his name has been dragged in to the case.
As for the other accused in the case, he said they were BJP members and would receive all his support. Kachhadiya stated that there was no threat to his position in Parliament and that he would use the time given to claim bail and continue to contest as an MP.
Court Verdict
Meanwhile the court has reason to believe that Dr. Babhi was at the hospital during the incident and pronounced Kachhadiya guilty under IPC Section 332 and sentenced him to three years of imprisonment and six months of imprisonment under IPC Section 143 read with the Atrocities Act. A fine of Rs.35,000 has also been imposed on the MP.
When the court goes in to session next month, a major decision awaits Dr. Babhi and MP Kachhadiya in this clear case of an assault on a doctor.
With inputs from – Business Standard, Indian Express, ABP Live
Image Credits: The Hindu