Dediapada: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Chaitar Vasava was recently arrested in an assault case that has now become a political flashpoint in Gujarat. Accused of attacking Dediapada Taluka Panchayat President Sanjay Vasava, the MLA faces serious criminal charges, including attempt to murder.

The case stems from an A.T.V.T. meeting held on July 5 at the Dediapada Prant Office, where a heated altercation broke out involving Vasava. He allegedly became agitated over not being consulted on member appointments and began verbally abusing Taluka officials, including Sagbara Taluka Panchayat President Champaben. When objected to, Vasava reportedly assaulted another attendee, tearing his shirt, slapping him, and attempting to hit him with a glass. He allegedly tried to stab the person with a shard of broken glass, issuing death threats before leaving the office. A police officer intervened, preventing further harm.

Later, Vasava was arrested and produced in court. On Friday, a local court in Narmada district rejected the police’s request to take him into five-day custody and also denied his bail plea, resulting in his continued detention under judicial custody.

Notably, this is not the first time Vasava has faced legal trouble or political controversy. He has a long list of cases and FIRs against him, including serious charges such as firing in the air, loot, and attempt to murder.

Here’s a list of notable incidents involving Vasava and his run-ins with the law:

March 2025: Vasava attended a wedding in Surat, where a known bootlegger joined him on the dance floor. This raised eyebrows politically, though no official complaint was filed.

December 2024: A week after a deadly blast at Detox India Pvt Ltd killed four workers, the Ankleshwar GIDC police filed an FIR against Vasava for allegedly obstructing police and endangering public safety during emergency operations. He was accused of encouraging victims’ relatives to enter the hazardous site despite police warnings. Just two days earlier, Rajpardi police registered a case against Vasava for holding a padayatra without prior permission.

November 2024: Vasava announced the formation of the Bhil Pradesh Mukti Morcha, demanding a separate tribal state — Bhil Pradesh — covering parts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. He proposed Kevadiya (Statue of Unity) as the capital.

September 2024: AAP MLA along with 20 others was booked for allegedly assaulting a restaurant owner in Dediapada. The dispute arose when the owner, Shantilal Vasava, asked the MLA to pay a pending bill. An FIR has been filed under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita for rioting, assault, and criminal intimidation.

November 2023: Vasava threatened and assaulted forest department officials and fired a round in the air. He was booked under IPC Section 386. After his anticipatory bail plea was rejected, he absconded for over a month before surrendering.

In the same case, the court later granted him bail on the condition that he not enter Narmada district — a condition that was lifted in June 2024, allowing him to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Bharuch. He lost the election to BJP’s long-time MP Mansukh Vasava.

In what has been seen as an appeasement tactic, Vasava has also denied reports of religious conversions by Christian missionaries in Gujarat’s tribal belt. In 2023, at a Christian community event in Navapur (near the Gujarat-Maharashtra border), he stated, “Today, in Gujarat and in India, the most allegations regarding religious conversion are made against the Christian community. These allegations are entirely false and baseless.”

His statement was controversial, given that several conversion cases had surfaced in regions like Narmada, Dang, Valsad, and other districts.

Before this latest case, Vasava had over 13 police complaints against him , 10 in Dediapada, and one each in Rajpipla, Kevadiya, and Sagbara police stations. He has been booked under numerous sections of the IPC and other acts, including, IPC Sections: 143, 147, 148, 149, 323, 354A, 504, 503, 115, 116, 120B, 395, 427, 450, 506(2), 452, 153, 397, 306, 186, 189, 332, 353, 386, 294, Arms Act: Section 25(1)(A), IT Act 2008: Section 67A, Disaster Management Act: Section 51B, BNS Sections: 221, 224, 329(3), 125, 126(2), 3(5)

From 2014 to 2022, charges have been framed against him in 10 different cases, including firing in the air, looting, and attempted murder.

May 2023: A Rajpipla court sentenced Vasava to six months’ simple imprisonment and fined him ₹1,000 for assaulting a political opponent during a sarpanch election campaign and causing injuries.

DeshGujarat