New Delhi: A day after a court in Barpeta district of Assam granted bail to Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani over a case relating to an alleged assault on a policewoman, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the police official has written to him seeking permission to move the High Court against the verdict of the local court.
Sarma told the media here on Saturday that the police official would move the High Court if she gets the permission. He had come to Delhi to attend the joint conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of High Courts at Vigyan Bhawan. "I don't know much about the case. There was a complaint of misbehaviour on a female police sub-inspector. On the basis of this complaint, the police registered a case. The Barpeta sessions court has given a verdict. She has now written to me asking for permission to move the Gauhati High Court against the verdict of the Barpeta Sessions court," the Chief Minister said.
"The file has come to me and if I grant permission then she will move the High court against the Sessions courts verdict. Police have not filed a case. The case was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by the lady police officer," Sarma added. Mevani, an Independent MLA in Gujarat, was released from jail earlier on Saturday after the local court in Assam granted him bail on Friday in connection with the alleged assault case on a policewoman.
Mevani was remanded to five days of police custody by a local court in the Barpeta district on Tuesday in connection with an assault case. He was re-arrested by Barpeta Police for allegedly assaulting a policewoman on Monday soon after he was granted bail in the matter connected to his tweets about Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mevani was arrested by an Assam police team from Palanpur town in Gujarat over a couple of his tweets. Mevani claimed that he was arrested out of a political vendetta against him. The Assam state Congress unit had protested the arrest of the Gujarat legislator. Elected as an independent MLA, Mevani had extended his support to Congress in September 2019.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sarma said that the issue of illegal infiltration has posed a serious threat to the security of the country. “The Assam agitation of 1979 took place against the illegal infiltrators because there was a sudden increase in the number of voters in some constituencies of the State. Assam is already facing the issue of illegal infiltration. And now this issue has spread across India. Bengal has also been witnessing similar issues. I know, there are several places in Delhi where such illegal migrants are living. The Jahangirpuri incident shows that the infiltration issue is a serious issue and the entire country should think about it seriously,” said Sarma in New Delhi.
He said that the Assam government will issue identity cards to the indigenous Muslim population of the State. “We formed a sub-committee which has submitted its report. Our cabinet will take its next course of action after going through the report. It was initiated to protect the culture and identity of the indigenous Muslim population of the States because the illegal migrants have posed a serious threat for them,” said Sarma.
Sarma informed that the central government will release additional funds of Rs 2,600 for infrastructure development of the State under capital projects. “I met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. This year the state government has planned several capital projects like the construction of eight medical colleges, DC offices, stadium roads etc. and hence we will need additional funds to meet these expenses. This year Assam will get an additional Rs 2,600 crore and the Union Minister said if Assam performs better, then the Centre, at the end of the year, may provide more funds,” said Sarma.
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