RAIPUR: The Raipur sessions court on Monday granted bail to all twelve Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders who were arrested on June 14 for allegedly staging a protest and creating ruckus at the Raipur airport after "not being allowed" to meet the PM Narendra Modi to submit their memorandum.
"The court of additional district and session judge Jitendra Jain after hearing the arguments granted bail to all twelve AAP members on a surety of Rs 5000 each", the counsel for the AAP Faisal Rizvi told the Express. Among those who were imprisoned in Raipur Central Jail for the past eleven days included the state party convener Sanket Thakur, who is the party candidate from Raipur (rural) seat and six others who would be contesting the Assembly elections due later this year.
The Chhattisgarh unit of AAP had called the arrest as "politically motivated" and alleged that the charges against their leaders were "false and fabricated". The police though claimed the AAP leaders created chaos and commotion at airport premises, raised slogans, held a demonstration without authorisation and obstructed public servants in discharge of their duties.
"The charges slapped by the police were absolutely baseless. The AAP leaders had gone inside the airport just like any person after purchasing entry tickets to hand over their memorandum to the PM. How could they (AAP members) can assault any public servant in the presence of collector, SP, IG and hundreds of security personnel? We have demanded CCTV footage to substantiate our contention", Rizvi stated.
The AAP leaders were arrested under Section 151 CrPC for allegedly holding demonstration following the denial of permission to submit their list of complaints to the prime minister during his visit and having raised slogans against the Modi government.
Later more charges were framed on the arrested leaders under different offences as the police held them responsible of rioting (Section 147 IPC), obstructing public officers in discharge of their official duties (186 IPC), assault or criminal force to deter public servant (Section 353) and cheating by personation (Section 419 IPC).
The state unit of AAP has in the recent months launched a state-wide political campaign to bring a change in Chhattisgarh and appealing the people to support their mission,"Badalbo Chhattisgarh" (Bring a change in Chhattisgarh). The party has already declared their candidates for 62 constituencies in the 90-member Chhattisgarh House and has kicked-off the poll campaign.