Ahmedabad: Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani, along with about 30 co-accused, has been acquitted by the Ahmedabad Metropolitan Court in the infamous 'Rail Roko' case on Tuesday.
The charges stemmed from an alleged obstruction of the Rajdhani Express during a ‘Rail Roko’ protest in 2017. This decision comes as a relief for Mevani, who had been facing multiple legal battles in recent years.
The 'Rail Roko' Case
Jignesh Mevani and the other accused were accused of halting the Rajdhani Express at Kalupur railway station in Ahmedabad for approximately 20 minutes during a protest in 2017. The demonstration took a violent turn, with allegations of a woman RPF constable being assaulted.
Subsequently, a case was filed against the accused under Section 153 of the Railways Act, in addition to charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including unlawful assembly, rioting, causing hurt to deter public servants, and criminal conspiracy.
Earlier, in 2021, the session court had denied the discharge of Jignesh Mevani and others in this case. However, in a recent turn of events, the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate P.N. Goswami cleared all the defendants, giving them the benefit of the doubt. This included the prominent Congress lawmaker and 13 women among the acquitted.
Relief in Other Cases:
This acquittal follows a series of legal victories for Jignesh Mevani. Notably, in March 2023, a Sessions court in Mehsana district acquitted Mevani and nine associates in the 'Azadi March' case, dismissing a three-month jail term ordered by a lower court. In 2020, a court in Valsad discharged Mevani in a case related to sharing a video on Twitter that erroneously linked a teacher's actions to a local school, leading to accusations of defamation.
Further, in 2023, a Magistrate court in Ahmedabad acquitted Mevani and six others in a case of unlawful assembly, rioting, and damage to public property dating back to 2016. The charges arose from a protest in support of sanitation workers of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation at the Income Tax crossroads.
“The recent acquittal in the 'Rail Roko' case marks a significant legal triumph for Jignesh Mevani. This decision, coupled with his previous legal successes, suggests a period of relief for the Congress MLA, who has been entangled in multiple legal battles in recent years” said Advocate Subodh.
