BJP's Akash Vijayvargiya, Who Thrashed Official With Bat, Gets Bail

Akash Vijayvargiya was arrested on Wednesday for assaulting a municipal officer with a bat.

BJP legislator Akash Vijayvargiya, who was arrested on Wednesday for thrashing a municipal official with a cricket bat, got bail from a special court in Bhopal today. He had earlier been sent to jail till July 7. He will be released tomorrow.

A day after his arrest, Akash Vijayvargiya was told by a district court that his bail application cannot be heard there as it had no jurisdiction over the matter.

The district court judge said the case falls under the jurisdiction of a special fast track court set up in Bhopal to hear cases against public representatives, and transferred it there.

Mr Vijayvargiya, a first-time BJP legislator who represents the assembly seat of Indore-3, was seen on video assaulting a civic body official in Indore. He is the son of BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya.

On Wednesday, the young politician and his supporters were seen chasing a civic body official with a cricket bat in the presence of policemen and television crews. A video emerged of the dramatic scenes and was shared widely on social media.

The official, who was beaten up, was part of a team that was on an anti-encroachment drive in Indore when they were approached by Akash Vijayvargiya and his supporters. "You should leave within five minutes or else whatever happens after that will be your responsibility," Mr Vijayvargiya told the officers.

"In the BJP, we've been taught, pehle aavedan, phir nivedan aur phir danadan (first request and then attack)," he told reporters after the assault.

Mr Vijayvargiya was arrested later in the day and a case was registered against him for assault, rioting and obstructing government work. He was also charged in another case for a protest on June 4 over power cuts. Chief Minister Kamal Nath's effigy was torched during the demonstration. The legislator is accused of leading the protest without taking mandatory permissions.

However, many came out in support of the BJP leader. His supporters camped outside the police station when he was sent to jail. Posters came up in Indore that said "Salute Akash ji", which were later taken down.

On Friday, BJP chief and Union Home Minister Amit Shah sought a report on the case from the party's Madhya Pradesh unit. The state chief minister Kamal Nath also took an apparent dig at the politician by saying, "Cricket bat should be used to symbolise nation's victory, not defeat of democracy."

Meanwhile, 21 municipal officers have been suspended for standing in support of Akash Vijayvargiya, who was beating up their colleague during the demolition drive.