BJP MLA Akash Vijayvargiya, arrested for assaulting a municipal official, Thursday failed to get relief from the sessions court here which refused to hear his bail application saying it has no jurisdiction.
Judge B K Dwivedi said the sessions court was not empowered to hear the plea as the case falls under the jurisdiction of a special fast track court set up in Bhopal to hear cases against public representatives.
Akash, son of BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, assaulted municipal officer Dhirendra Singh Bias with a cricket bat in full public view Wednesday while opposing demolition of a dilapidated house.
A video of the assault went viral on social media, after which police filed an FIR against Akash and 10 others in connection with the assault.
He was arrested and a judicial magistrate court refused him bail Wednesday evening and sent him to judicial custody till July 7.
He moved the sessions court for bail.
Case to be heard by special court for lawmakers
On the direction of the Supreme Court, special courts had been set up for expeditious hearing of cases against MPs and MLAs.
Akash's case should, therefore, be heard by the special fast-track court in Bhopal, the lawyer of Bias said.
"We pleaded that the Indore sessions court was competent to grant bail and later it can transfer the case to Bhopal court," Akash's lawyer Pushyamitra Bhargava said.
But the court held in its order that it did not have the jurisdiction and therefore it was rejecting the bail plea without considering its merit.
Akash, thus, will have to approach the Bhopal court.
Indore civic body employees protest against BJP MLA
Employees of the Municipal Corporation on Thursday protested against the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Akash Vijayvargiya for allegedly thrashing a Corporation officer with a cricket bat on Wednesday.
A case has also been registered against Ashok, son of BJP leader Kailash Vijayavargiya, and 10 others in this regard.
Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Thiru D Raja said law should take its course in the matter. "It was a criminal act and he has been caught."
'Pehle aavedan, phir nivedan aur phir danadan'
According to eye-witnesses, even as locals were protesting razing of a house, Akash, who was a part of the protest, warned the team of civic body staff of consequences if they do not leave the spot.
At the same time, the MLA's supporters removed the keys of the earth moving machine brought along by the civic body team to carry out demolition, they said.
Amid heated exchange, Akash Vijayvargiya brought out a cricket bat and started hitting an officer who was talking over his mobile phone, an act recorded on camera. Supporters of the MLA also attacked the officer and abused him while police personnel present at the spot tried to bring the situation under control.
Justifying his action, Akash said, "In the BJP, we have been taught, pehle aavedan, phir nivedan aur phir danadan. (first request and then attack)."
(With PTI, ANI inputs)
