55 AAP leaders granted bail 10 days after arrest for protesting at Gujarat BJP office

A sessions court in Gandhinagar on Thursday granted bail to 55 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders including party's Gujarat president Gopal Italia and other senior leaders who were behind bars since December 20 following their arrests for protesting at BJP headquarters 'Kamalam' in the state capital.

"Principal District judge Nipaben Raval has granted bail to the remaining 55 leaders. They have been ordered to be released on furnishing personal bail bond of Rs 50,000 each. The police had arrested a total of 93 persons out of which 28 women members had been granted bail. Ten other members, who were bus drivers and conductors, had also been released earlier," Pranav Thakkar, the legal counsel of AAP, said.

Among the 55 leaders, who were granted relief on Thursday, were party's state president Gopal Italia, Pravin Ram, Isudan Gadhvi, Nikhil Savani, Balvant Makwana, Shiv Kumar Upadhyay, among others.

On December 20, Gandhinagar police had arrested 93 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders for trespassing BJP headquarters, rioting, criminal conspiracy, Epidemic Diseases Act and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, among other charges. A group of AAP leaders, said to be over 500, had barged into BJP headquarters' campus, sat on the porch and sang "Ramdhun'' (chants of lord Ram's name) while demanding action in the paper leak case.
 
AAP has alleged that while they were singing "Ramdhun'', BJP leaders 'attacked' them. The local police also arrived and resorted to lathicharge to disperse them. Later, the BJP alleged that AAP leaders created a ruckus at the party's "private office" and misbehaved with women members.

On December 20, Gandhinagar police had arrested 93 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders for trespassing BJP headquarters, rioting, criminal conspiracy, Epidemic Diseases Act and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, among other charges. A group of AAP leaders, said to be over 500, had barged into BJP headquarters' campus, sat on the porch and sang "Ramdhun '' (chants of lord Ram's name) while demanding action in the paper leak case.

AAP alleged that while they were singing "Ramdhun'', BJP leaders 'attacked' them. The local police also arrived and resorted to lathicharge to disperse them. Later, the BJP alleged that AAP leaders created a ruckus at the party's "private office" and misbehaved with women members.

AAP leaders was demanding action against Asit Vora, the BJP leader who is also the chairman of Gujarat Subordinate Service Selection Board (GSSB), which conducted the recruitment exams for selection of head clerks in government departments. While the government was forced to cancel the examination following police investigation, Vora continues to be the chairman of the GSSB.

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