Ordering the police escort at the petitioner's cost, the court further directed that "the petitioner will arrive directly at the venue from the detention centre, cast his vote and will return forthwith to the detention centre." (File Photo)In a dramatic intervention on Monday morning, the Gujarat High Court ordered that elected Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member of Junagadh Taluka Panchayat Sanjay Paghdar — arrested in an alleged case of cheating on Sunday — be escorted by police to cast his vote for the election for President and Vice President of the Taluka Panchayat, which was already underway when the order was passed.The court explicitly ordered that Paghdar’s vote was to be counted because it was “an important position where even a single vote may swing the contest one way or the other”.The order came a day after the political atmosphere in Junagadh had heated up following the arrest of Paghdar — a member from the Bagdu taluka Panchayat seat– on Sunday, a day ahead of the voting for staking majority and formation of the board. In the Junagadh Taluka Panchayat elections,the BJP and AAP were tied at nine seats each and every member mattered.Hearing a Habeas Corpus petition filed by Pranav Chandarana, the Legal Wing President of the Gujarat AAP, through his advocate Dr Aum Kotwal, seeking the release of Paghdar, Justice D N Ray of the Gujarat High Court on Monday held that the election was “an important position where even a single vote may swing the contest one way or the other.” The ends of justice, the Court held, “will be subserved, for the time being” , and on democratic principle, it ‘stopped’ an election until a police escort took Paghdar to the Taluka Panchayat.Ordering the police escort at the petitioner’s cost, the court further directed that “the petitioner will arrive directly at the venue from the detention centre, cast his vote and will return forthwith to the detention centre.” The Registry was directed to send across the order “by all means necessary” to all parties. In an unusual step to protect the integrity of the exercise, the Court ordered that “till the process is undertaken, the election will remain open.”The matter was urgently mentioned before the High Court at 9:30 am on Monday and the court directed the Registry to produce the file immediately. The file, however, arrived only at 11.45 am, the court order noted “two hours and fifteen minutes” after the Court’s direction and 45 minutes after the election had already begun.Additional Public Prosecutor Maithili Mehta argued that the FIR had in fact been registered on May 22, 2026 – two days before the detention — and that the petition had been filed “belatedly only to stall the election process.” She contended that the offences alleged were serious enough that “no leniency whatsoever needs to be shown”. She argued that it “cannot be said… that the petitioner has been arrested/detained for the purpose of denying the petitioner his right to vote in the said election.”Story continues below this adThe HC, while not ruling on the merits of the detention, held that “the ends of justice will be subserved, for the time being” by granting limited interim relief.The presence of Paghdar at the election process, however, did not stop the BJP from forming a board in the Junagadh Taluka Panchayat. While nine BJP members remained present on Monday at the time of voting, two other AAP members arrived late, allowing the BJP to form the governing body of the Taluka Panchayat.Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues. Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground. Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure. Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case). Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions. Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... Read More © The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Gujarat High Court