This Article is From Apr 14, 2016

Gujarat: BJP Lawmaker Sentenced To 3 Years For Assaulting Government Doctor

Gujarat: BJP Lawmaker Sentenced To 3 Years For Assaulting Government Doctor

Naranbhai Kachhadia and others were accused of beating up a doctor at Amreli civil hospital on January 1, 2013.

Ahmedabad: BJP lawmaker Naranbhai Kachhadia was on Wednesday sentenced to three years imprisonment by a court in Amreli for assaulting a doctor at a government hospital in 2013.

Judge DR Bhatt also imposed a fine of Rs. 35,000 on the two-term lawmaker from Amreli.

The court stayed the sentence for a month so as to enable Mr Kachhadia and other convicts to approach the high court against the conviction.

Mr Kachhadia might face disqualification under The Representation of The People Act as per the July 2013 judgement of the Supreme Court.

He and others were accused of beating up Bhimjibhai Dabhi, a doctor at Amreli civil hospital, on January 1, 2013, for refusing to attend to a BJP worker's relative.

Mr Dabhi asked the patient to wait as he was tending to another person. The patient called up Mr Kachhadia who came to the hospital and beat up Mr Dabhi, apart from hurling casteist abuse. Mr Dabhi belongs to a scheduled caste.

A case was registered under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the IPC.

The court acquitted the lawmaker of the charge under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, but awarded him three years' imprisonment for 'voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant doing his duty', and 'using force or violence through unlawful assembly'.

Four others -- Kirit Bhamja, Madhu Joshi, Ravi Joshi and the lawmaker's driver were also sentenced to three years prison term.
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