A First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged against Chaitar Vasava, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator after he reportedly issued threats to forest department officials and discharged a single gunshot into the air using a pistol at his residence in Gujarat's Narmada district. Simultaneously, Vasava's wife, his personal assistant, and another individual were taken into custody in connection with the incident, while the opposition party Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) representing the Dediapada constituency remains at large, as confirmed by Prashant Sumbe, the Superintendent of Police for Narmada district.
The legislator has been charged under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to rioting, extortion, and assaulting government officials, in addition to the provisions of the Arms Act. The altercation occurred following a dispute between Vasava and state forest department personnel who had been summoned to his residence in Dediapada town to engage in discussions concerning encroachments on forest land. This dispute transpired on the evening of October 30, with an FIR being officially recorded at the Dediapada police station on the night of November 2, naming four individuals in connection with the case, including Vasava, his spouse, and two others. The conflict emerged as a result of objections raised by the forest department regarding the utilization of forest land for agricultural purposes by private parties. During the course of the discussion, Vasava and the other implicated individuals purportedly issued threats to the officials, with Vasava discharging a single round of gunfire into the air, as detailed by the police officer.
Chaitra Vasava is one of the five MLAs from the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP who were elected during the 2022 Gujarat assembly elections. Subsequently, the tribal MLA was designated as the AAP's leader of the legislative party within the state.
