Maharashtra: MLA who slapped bureaucrat gets bail

A local court on Thursday granted bail to Maharashtra independent MLA, Bachchu Kadu, who was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly assaulting a government officer at the state secretariat in Mumbai.

"Esplanade Court today granted bail to Kadu on the bond of Rs 25,000 and the court has also directed him to deposit his passport," Kadu's lawyer Hassan Pasha Patel told PTI.

The legislator, who represents Achalpur Assembly constituency in Amaravati district of Maharashtra, was arrested yesterday by the Marine Drive Police in Mumbai as soon as he came out of the ongoing state Assembly session here.

Kadu and his clerk Ashok Jadhav had gone to meet B R Gavit, Deputy Secretary, General Administration Department, on Tuesday. He was insisting that Jadhav be allowed to continue to stay in the government quarters and be allotted additional accommodation, in violation of norms.

The officer apparently refused to entertain his demand. An infuriated Kadu allegedly abused and hit him hard on the head. Police said a case under IPC sections 353 (assault or use of criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 34 (common intention), has been registered against the MLA.