Umesh Patel won the Daman seat defeating the three-term BJP MP Lalu Patel in the 2024 Lok Sabha general elections as an Independent candidate.A Chief Judicial Magistrate’s (CJM) court in Daman convicted independent MP of the Union Territory, Umesh Patel, and former acting president of Daman District Panchayat Suresh alias Sukha Patel in a 14-year-old case of obstructing a public servant from doing their duty.The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate P P Bharsakhade-Wagh sentenced the MP and the former panchayat president to two years’ simple imprisonment and gave them a month’s time to appeal in a higher court.Umesh Patel, 48, won the Daman seat defeating the three-term BJP MP Lalu Patel in the 2024 Lok Sabha general elections as an Independent candidate.The case dates back to March 12, 2012, when interviews were on for the post of assistant sub-inspector for the excise department, at the Sports Club football ground in Daman. The two were accused of entering the room where a candidate’s interview was underway and making “false allegations”.Jagmahendra Singh, the then Assistant Superintendent of Police posted at Daman police headquarters, filed a complaint against Umesh Patel, who was the then president of the NGO Youth Action Force, and Suresh alias Sukha Patel, accusing them of threatening the police personnel present at the main entry gate and forcibly entering the football ground.“They entered the room where the candidates’ interview was in progress and made false accusations against the committee interviewing them,” the FIR had said. The duo also allegedly demanded to know why a particular candidate who had come for the interview was declared failed.They were also accused of using abusive language against the committee members and were taken away by the police.Story continues below this adActing on Singh’s complaint, the Moti Daman police booked Umesh Patel and Sukha Patel under IPC sections 452 (trespass), 353 (use criminal force against public servant), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant on duty), 504 (Intentional insult to provoke breach of public peace). They were arrested and later released on bail.The Moti Daman police looked into the complaint, collected evidence against the accused and also took statements of eyewitnesses and the person who was assaulted by the accused.During the trial, Assistant Public Prosecutor Shriram Deshpandey pressed charges against both accused, which were defended by their lawyer Samir Modasiya. On Saturday, CJM Bharsakhade-Wagh pronounced the verdict.The order says, “Suresh alias Sukha Patel and Umesh Patel are convicted for the offence punishable under sections 186 and 353 of IPC, vide section 248 (2) of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. Duo are sentenced to suffer simple imprisonment for two years and to pay a fine of Rs 5,000 each, and in default, they shall suffer simple imprisonment for three months.”Story continues below this adThe duo were later released on a bond of Rs 15,000 each by the court, to exercise their right to challenge the order in the higher court.Umesh Patel told The Indian Express on Saturday, “I only accompanied acting Daman District Panchayat president Suresh alias Sukha Patel, as he told me that there was injustice done to one of the candidates in the interview exams. The matter was not related to me. We will challenge the order in higher courts in the coming days, as many of our points were not taken into consideration by the CJM court.”Assistant Public Prosecutor Deshpandey said, “We are very satisfied with the court’s order.”Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage from Surat and the broader South Gujarat region and the Union territories of Daman, Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli. With a reporting career at the publication spanning back to 2007, he has established himself as a high-authority voice on the industrial, social, and political pulse of one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs. Expertise Industrial & Economic Beat: Based in the "Diamond City," Saiyed offers expert reporting on the diamond and textile industries. His work tracks global market shifts (such as De Beers production changes), local trade policies, and the socio-economic challenges facing the millions of workers in Surat’s manufacturing hubs. Civic & Infrastructure Coverage: He consistently reports on urban development and public safety in Surat, including: Traffic & Urban Planning: Monitoring the city's 13-fold increase in traffic violations and the implementation of new municipal drives. Public Safety: Investigative reporting on infrastructure failures, fire safety NOC compliance in schools and commercial buildings, and Metro rail progress. Political Reporting: Tracking the shifting dynamics between the BJP, Congress, and AAP in South Gujarat and the neighboring Union Territories (Daman, Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli). Crime beat: Armed with a good source network Saiyed has been able to bring out the human side of crime stories in his region ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on InstagramTags:DamanGujarat