Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani discharged from defamation case for tweeting false video

A local court in Valsad on Tuesday discharged independent MLA and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani from the trial of a defamation case registered last year by a school for tweeting a video, which turned out to be from another country, showing children being beaten up by a teacher in the classroom.

The court said that there was not enough evidence to try Mevani.

Mevani was booked by the principal of RMVM school at Valsad police station for criminal defamation based on his tweet which shared a video clip showing school children being brutally beaten up by a man.

Mevani wrote an RMVM school teacher was behind the act, which was “Barbarism of worst form...”. The video turned out to be from another country. After realising, Mevani had deleted the tweet and tendered an apology, yet the police began the probe.

“After going through all the documents and evidence on record, prima facie no offence has been made out against the accused and the complaint seems to have been registered without any basis. In absence of supporting documents, this case can’t be tried. Proceeding further against the accused will only lead to waste of time,” additional chief judicial magistrate Manish Nimavat stated in his order.

The order says that no proof was presented over the alleged threat calls made to the principal and parents gathering outside the school as a result of the video shared by Mevani. The court held that police didn’t probe any such allegations.

The court held that police didn't probe any such allegations and no material was placed before the court to support it.