Cong MLA Jitu Patwari gets bail in 2007 case

The Madhya Pradesh High Court today granted bail to Congress MLA Jitu Patwari, who was in judicial custody in Bhopal for allegedly obstructing a public servant in performing his duties in Indore in 2007.

A single bench of Justice C V Sirpurkar granted bail to Patwari, who is also AICC secretary, on a security of Rs 40,000, his counsel Shashank Shekhar told PTI.

Patwari told the high court that he had approached the fast track court in Bhopal on April 17 seeking bail, after he came to know that an arrest warrant was issued against him by that court.

Patwari, who represents Rau assembly constituency in Indore, told the high court in his petition that he did not know that the case against him had been transferred to Bhopal from Indore.

Fast track court judge Suresh Singh had remanded Patwari in judicial custody for 14 days on April 17 after turning down his bail plea.

On April 4, the fast track court had issued an arrest warrant against the Congress leader after he failed to turn up to attend the court hearings on different counts.

The fast track court was trying Patwari for allegedly obstructing a public servant from performing his duties.

According to an FIR, the legislator, who was driving a car without a number plate, had pushed a constable and escaped when he was stopped by the police during a check on December 13, 2007 in Indore district.

Based on a complaint filed by the policeman, Khudail police station in Indore had booked the legislator.

The fast track court has been set up in Bhopal to expeditiously hear and dispose of cases against public representatives across Madhya Pradesh.