Assault case: BJP MLA Akash Vijayvargiya released on bail

Indore: BJP MLA Akash Vijayvargiya, who was arrested four days ago for assaulting a civic official here with a cricket bat, was released from a local jail on Sunday morning.

He was released after his bail order from a court in Bhopal reached jail authorities in Indore.

After coming out of the jail, Vijayvargiya dubbed his prison experience as “good”, and said he was happy to come out as he would now be focusing on pending public works.

District Jail Superintendent Aditi Chaturvedi told PTI that they got the court order to release Vijayvargiya on bail at 11 pm on Saturday.

“After completing all formalities, he was released on Sunday morning,” she said.

The Bhopal-based court of additional sessions judge Suresh Singh on Saturday granted bail to the 34-year-old MLA, who is son of BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, in the case of assault as well as in an earlier case where he was accused of staging an illegal protest.

He was asked to furnish a personal bail bond of Rs 50,000 in the assault case and of Rs 20,000 in the other case.

After coming out of the jail, the MLA said, “I had been in jail for the first time in life. But the experience of staying in jail was good. My time in prison was very good. However, I am happy that I have came out of the jail because I have to complete unfinished works of the public.”

Akash Vijayvargiya, a first-time MLA from Indore-3 Assembly segment, was caught on TV cameras assaulting municipal officer Dhirendra Singh Bais with a cricket bat last Wednesday while opposing demolition of a dilapidated house.

A civic official on Sunday said they are preparing to demolish the dilapidated house, which was declared dangerous, ahead of the rainy season.

Asked about the preparations, the MLA said, “I don’t have any information at this point of time, I will get the information about it. However, I will continue my fight over public issues.”

A magistrate’s court last Wednesday sent him in judicial custody till July 11 after his arrest, denying him bail.

Later on Thursday, the Indore sessions court refused to hear his bail plea, saying it had no jurisdiction and he should approach the special court set up in Bhopal to hear cases against public representatives.

Akash Vijayvargiya was booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty).

Besides, he was also charged under IPC Sections 294 (abusing), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 147 (rioting), 148 (armed with deadly weapons) and 427 (causing damage to property).

Meanwhile, Chaturvedi said the MLA was released following completion of all formalities after they received the court order late Saturday night.

“We did not receive the court order till 7 pm, the scheduled ‘lock-up’ time. So, we could not release him on Saturday night, in accordance with the jail manual,” she said.

According to the jail manual, after the regular counting of prisoners, they are sent to their cells from the inner premises of the jail. This process is called ‘lock-up’.

Chaturvedi said after the MLA’s arrest, he was in jail under judicial custody since Wednesday evening on the order of a local court.

During the judicial custody, he was Thursday arrested in another case where he is charged under IPC Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant).

The case was registered after he led a protest here on June 4 against power cuts without taking mandatory permissions.