Rajasthan Independent candidate who slapped SDM sent to judicial custody for 14 days

Jaipur, Nov 15 (PTI) Independent MLA candidate Naresh Meena who slapped a sub-divisional magistrate and was arrested following high drama and escalating violence was sent to judicial custody for 14 days on Friday, an official said.
    Police produced him before a court in Niwai of Tonk district virtually citing law and order issues.
    It was expected that Meena, the Independent candidate for the Deoli-Uniara Assembly bypoll, would be produced before the court physically. However, the plan was changed as his supporters started gathering at different locations and threatened to block the Jaipur-Kota Highway.
    "The court gave directions to produce Naresh Meena through video conference after police cited law and order issue. During the hearing, the court sent Meena to judicial custody for 14 days," the Independent candidate's counsel Sitaram Sharma told PTI.
    According to police, four cases, including for disrupting public work and damaging public property, were registered against Meena.
    Superintendent of Police of Tonk Vikas Sangwan told PTI that Meena's 14-day judicial custody can be extended further.     
    Meena was arrested on Thursday following high drama and escalating violence in which a mob assaulted a PTI reporter and video cameraperson and burnt their camera.
    The attack, a day after the Congress rebel contesting as an Independent in the bypolls slapped SDM Malpura Amit Chaudhary outside a polling booth in front of hundreds of people, came while the PTI crew was covering a protest following the arrest.
    The violence has been going on since Wednesday evening when police tried to stop Naresh Meena's supporters from sitting on dharna.
    The slap, videos of which were circulated widely on social media platforms, set in motion differing protests from both his supporters and Rajasthan Administrative Service officials. The tension that started outside the polling booth snowballed into outright violence through the night and into Thursday.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)