Dalit leader Jignesh refuses to seek bail, sent to jail

Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani and three of his associates were sent to judicial custody after they refused to apply for bail following their arrest in connection with a protest, police said on Wednesday.

Mevani and 19 others were arrested by the police for allegedly trying to block a busy road near the Gujarat University here last evening. They were arrested under IPC sections 143 (unlawful assembly) and 188 (disobeying orders of public servant), said inspector G S Bariya.

“When we produced them before the court on Tuesday night, 16 of them agreed to take bail while Mevani, Subodh Parmar, Dixit Parmar and Rakesh Maheria refused to seek bail. So as per the court’s order we sent them in judicial custody at Sabarmati Central Jail,” said inspector Bariya. 

Mevani and other agitators from Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch had gathered outside the University demanding that the under-construction building of its law department be named after Dr B R Ambedkar. “To make their demand heard, protesters sat on dharna on road. 

When they were produced before the court, Mevani and three others refused to take bail to register their protest against Gujarat Government,” said their lawyer Shamshad Pathan.