Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani arrested by Assam Police

Banaskantha (Gujarat) [India]: The Assam police arrested Jignesh Mevani, the MLA from Gujarat’s Vadgam, on Wednesday (April 20) night, reportedly over a couple of his tweets.

A police team from Assam took Mevani into custody at Palanpur Circuit House in Banaskantha around 11:30 pm on Wednesday night, as per Mevani’s team.

“Police yet to share FIR copy with us. Prima facie, we have been informed about some cases filed against him in Assam,” his aides had said during the time of his arrest.

Later, the Kokrajhar police in Assam confirmed the development.

“Kokrajhar police arrested Congress Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani from Palanpur Circuit House last night,” Kokrajhar Superintendent of Police Thube Prateek Vijay Kumar told ANI today.

A case was lodged against Mevani under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), section 153(A) (promoting enmity between two communities), 295(A), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and sections of the IT Act.

A couple of tweets on Mevani’s Twitter handle are not visible on his feed, with a message displaying that the tweets have been withheld in India based on a “legal demand”.

“This Tweet from @jigneshmevani80 has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand,” reads the message on the Vadgam MLA’s Twitter.

Mevani has been taken to Ahmedabad, and from there, Assam Police will take him to Guwahati.

Elected as an independent MLA, Mevani extended his support to the Congress party in September 2019. (ANI)