Non-bailable warrant issued against Jignesh Mevani

A metropolitan court in Gujarat has issued a non-bailable warrant against Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani. The court said Mevani failed to appear for a hearing in connection with a case for stopping the Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express during a protest in January this year.

Mevani’s lawyer told the court that Mevani was busy filing nomination forms as an independent candidate from the Vadgam Assembly seat. However, additional metropolitan magistrate R S Langa rejected the contention and issued warrants against Mevani and 12 others, saying the nomination papers could have been filed earlier.

The hearing was in a case in connection with an incident on January 11 when Mevani and his supporters blocked the Rajdhani Express at the Ahmedabad railway station for several minutes as part of a ‘rail roko’ protest against the Vibrant Gujarat summit. The police arrested about 40 people from the spot, all of whom are facing trials.