Porbander Police on Thursday registered an FIR and arrested newly-elected Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Kandhal Jadeja from Kutiyana constituency, in a case pertaining to rioting, assault and obstructing public servant.
According to information available, the complaint has been filed in Ranavav police station of Porbandar district against the legislator for entering into a scuffle with police personnel at the station in the wee hours of Thursday.
Jadeja and six of his supporters have been arrested under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 504 (intentional insult), 427 (mischief causing damage), 332 (causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 186 (obstructing public servant) of Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Apparently Kandhal Jadeja and his associates were searching for Samat Mer, who is said to have worked against the legislator in the last Assembly elections. Kandhal won the seat against BJP candidate Laxman Odedara. Samat Mer had apparently withdrawn his candidature as an independent candidate in favour of BJP candidate. This is said to have irked Kandhal and his associates. As Kandhal and his associates searched for Mer, he rushed to Ranavav police station for protection.
Kandhal and his associates, who followed Mer into the police station, are said to have created a ruckus, vandalised the telephone and even entered into a scuffle with the station policemen.
Siblings all
The rioters included Kandhal's brothers Karan and Kana Jadeja. Kandhal is the son of 'Godmother' Sankotben Jadeja and the late Sarman Munja, who too is said to have had a chequered criminal background. He too was facing several criminal cases and was behind bars in the past.
Kandhal was also sitting legislator from Kutiyana in the outgoing Assembly and had voted for BJP candidate Balwantsinh Rajput during the high-drama Rajya Sabha elections held in the state this year.