Guj BJP MLA gets three months jail in 21-year-old case

Gujarat BJP MLA Shashikant Pandya was on Thursday sentenced to three months of simple imprisonment by a court in Banaskantha district in a 21-year-old case of obstructing a public servant from discharging duty.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate of Deesa, M D Brahmbhatt, also imposed a fine of Rs 500 on the legislator.

Pandya (56), who represents Deesa constituency in the state, was found guilty under IPC section 186 (obstructing a public servant in the discharge of public functions).

The FIR against Pandya was filed way back in 1998 for stopping an employee of Deesa municipality from performing his duty.

Pandya was also facing charges under section 327 (voluntarily causing hurt to extort property), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and section 477 (fraudulent cancellation, destruction of valuable security).

The court, however, gave benefit of doubt owing to lack of evidence and acquitted him from these three charges.

The court granted bail to him to enable him to file an appeal against the order in the higher court.