A court in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar has granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Raju Karpada and Pravin Ram. They were in judicial custody for nearly four months after being arrested in connection with a farmer-police clash in Hadadad village of Botad district. The clash stemmed from protests against alleged irregularities at the Botad Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC).
Raju Karpada, Gujarat AAP Kisan Cell President, and Pravin Ram, the AAP’s state-level frontal organisation President, were involved in leading an agitation against the local practice known as “kadada.” This practice involves cotton traders allegedly making unauthorized deductions during weighing at the market yard. The court’s decision to grant bail followed arguments from both sides regarding their roles in the events.
The case is linked to a farmers’ maha panchayat that occurred on October 12. Police stated that the gathering was unauthorized, and when they tried to intervene, a section of the crowd turned violent, pelting stones at police vehicles. Tear gas shells were used to disperse the mob and restore order. The agitation had commenced two days earlier at the Botad APMC, where farmers protested against alleged weighing malpractices by cotton traders.
During a visit to Rajkot on December 8, AAP Convenor Arvind Kejriwal addressed the issue, mentioning that 88 individuals had been arrested in connection with the agitation. Kejriwal emphasized that the farmers had gathered seeking justice over the kadada practice, not to incite violence. He called for the release of all those arrested in the case to ensure the innocence of every individual involved.
