The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)‘s National Joint Secretary Gopal Italia was on April 17 arrested by Surat Crime Branch for his alleged remarks on Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi. He was later granted bail.
“Since offences in the FIR were bailable, Crime Branch let me go. AAP showed its strength in the last election in Gujarat, which is considered BJP’s stronghold. That is why they are scared..,” Mr. Italia was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The case was lodged in Umra police station in Surat on September 2, 2022, for using allegedly defamatory words against State BJP chief C.R. Paatil and Gujarat Minister Harsh Sanghavi and also calling BJP workers “goons” in a video message uploaded on social media platforms.
Mr. Italia uploaded the video messages after an alleged attack on his colleague Manoj Sorathiya in Surat on August 2022.
In the video message, Mr. Italia had used some allegedly objectionable words to describe Mr. Paatil and Mr. Sanghavi and had said the attack on Sorathiya was carried out by BJP goons.
The case was being investigated by Surat Crime Branch, which arrested Mr. Italia during the day.
After being released on bail, Mr. Italia said the police action was aimed at harassing him.
The case was registered against Italia under Indian Penal Code sections 500 (defamation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 505 (1)(b) (offending act inducing person to commit an offence against State or public tranquillity), and 469 (forgery for purpose of harming reputation) of the Indian Penal Code.
(With agency inputs)
