Naresh Meena granted bail in SDM slap case, but remains in jail for now

Jaipur, May 30 (IANS) The Rajasthan High Court has granted bail to Independent leader Naresh Meena in the case related to the slapping of SDM Amit Chaudhary during the Deoli-Uniara Assembly bye-election in November 2024.

The order was passed by Justice Anil Upman, who directed Meena’s release on bail. However, Meena will remain in judicial custody for now in connection with other related charges.

The controversy erupted during the bye-election when villagers from Samravata in Tonk district decided to boycott the polls.

Naresh Meena, contesting as an Independent candidate, joined the villagers in a sit-in protest, accusing election officials of attempting to force them to vote.

Tensions escalated when Meena entered a polling booth and allegedly slapped SDM Amit Chaudhary.

Following the incident, Meena returned to the protest site and continued his dharna.

Later, a dispute broke out after police reportedly stopped vehicles of some of the protesters.

Meena was taken into custody, but news of his arrest infuriated his supporters.

In response, hundreds of protesters stormed the police and forcibly freed Meena from custody.

The situation quickly spiralled out of control. Police resorted to lathicharge, while the villagers were accused of retaliating with stone-pelting. Several vehicles were set ablaze during the violent clashes.

Since then, Naresh Meena was behind bars. While the High Court has now granted him bail in the assault case, he remains in jail due to pending cases linked to the violence and damage to public property during the protest.

The police continue their investigation into the incident, and more arrests are likely as authorities attempt to identify others involved in the mob violence, said officials.

--IANS

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