Former BJP MLA Bhawani Singh Rajawat and a BJP worker Mahavir Suman has been sentenced a 3 year-jail for slapping deputy conservator of forest (DCF) Ravi Kumar, two-and-a-half years ago.
A local SC/ST court held the BJP leader and the worker guilty.
Talking to the media after the judgement, Rajawat said that he will appeal in the High Court.
What is the case?
The case dates back to March 2022. Urban Improvement Trust (UIT) Kota was carrying out a patchwork on the Daha Devi Mata temple road. Forest department then stopped the work claiming the area to be under forest jurisdiction.
Enraged by this, on March 31, 2022, at 3:30 pm, former MLA Bhavani Singh Rajawat went to the office of the forest department located on Raj Bhavan Road along with his supporters. The then DCF Ravi Kumar kept urging Meena Rajawat to sit on a chair and have tea. But during the conversation, Rajawat said to have slapped DCF Ravi Kumar.
Ravi Kumar had accused 10-15 people, including Bhawani Singh Rajawat, BJP worker Mahavir Suman, of slapping, pushing and obstructing government work at Nayapura police station in Kota.
The police had registered a case under Sections 332 (non-bailable), 353, 34 and 3 (2) (va) of the SC/ST Act.
Rajawat was arrested on April 1, 2022. He was in jail for 10 days. He was later granted bail by the High Court. Since then he was on bail.
Rajawat and Suman sentenced to 3 years each
The court today pronounced the verdict and held Bhavani Singh Rajawat and Mahavir Suman guilty of obstructing and slapping the government official. Apart from the 3 years imprisonment under Section 332 (non-bailable), both the convicts have been imposed with a penalty of Rs 30,000 each.
However, both have been exonerated in the SC/ST case under Section-3.
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