Shakunta Vasava was directed to be released on a bond of Rs 15,000 with a surety of like amount. (File photo)Ten days after Dediapada MLA Chaitar Vasava and others were sentenced to seven years in prison for assaulting and extorting forest officials, the Gujarat High Court on Thursday granted bail to one of his co-accused — a woman who gave birth just 18 days ago — after the State submitted that it had no objection to granting bail to her.Even before the High Court began hearing appeals against conviction filed by five co-accused of Chaitar Vasava as well as Chaitar’s wife Shakuntala, Justice Vimal K Vyas on Thursday suspended the sentence of the new mother, Shakunta Vasava, until the appeal is decided, and granted her bail.The High Court will now hear the applications seeking suspension of sentences filed under Section 430 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita by five of the convicts, challenging the judgment passed by the Additional Sessions Judge, Narmada at Rajpipla.The court had convicted Chaitar, his wife Shakuntala – a Narmada district panchayat member at the time when the offence was registered in 2023 – Chaitar’s personal assistant Jitendra, co-accused Ramesh Vasava and his wife Mogra of Jhadoli as well as Shakunta and her husband Baliram Vasava along with Mariyam Vasava.The accused were booked in an FIR in connection with the November 2023 assault on forest officials at Bogaj village.Must Read | What Chaitar Vasava’s 7-year jail term means for AAP’s Gujarat planAdditional Sessions Judge A V Hirpara had sentenced Vasava and others to seven years’ imprisonment and imposed Rs 25,000 fine on the AAP MLA.Appearing for the applicants, Senior Advocate I H Syed sought urgent bail specifically for applicant number 5 — Shukanta – citing that she “has recently delivered a child, who is 18 days’ infant.”Story continues below this adPublic Prosecutor Hardik Dave, appearing for the state, “fairly conceded” the fact of the newborn and agreed she could be released “on humanitarian ground without entering into the merits of the case.”Accepting the joint submission, the court held that the birth of the infant, combined with the prosecution’s concession, meant “the present application deserves consideration” and ordered that her sentence be “…hereby suspended pending hearing and final disposal of the criminal appeal.”She was directed to be released on a bond of Rs 15,000 with a surety of like amount, along with her infant, subject to standard bail conditions of not leaving India without the court’s permission and appearing whenever the appeal is listed. The order did not extend to the four other applicants named in the same plea, whose pleas remain undecided although the counsel appearing for the applicants submitted to the court that Shukanta’s husband be considered along with her as she “has no one to assist her” while taking care of the newborn.The court, however, declined to consider any other applicant and issued notice to the State returnable on July 7.Story continues below this adThe case traces to an FIR lodged at Dediapada police station on November 2, 2023, alleging that Chaitar had summoned forest officials to his residence after they moved to clear encroachments on forest land, and that he and his family had assaulted and threatened the officials and demanded compensation for villagers, including co-accused Ramesh Vasava. Chaitar also allegedly fired an unlicensed weapon in the air, drawing Arms Act charges alongside IPC counts of rioting, extortion and criminal intimidation of a public servant. Chaitar had then remained untraceable for weeks after the incident before surrendering on December 14, 2023, and was later released on bail after being named the INDIA bloc’s Lok Sabha candidate from Bharuch in 2024.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