“Investigation is ongoing. He will be arrested after legal action is taken,” police said.
Bhopal:
Bharatiya Adivasi Party (BAP) chief, Madhya Pradesh MLA Kamleshwar Dodiyar has been accused of attempting to extort Rs 1 crore from a medical store owner, although he has denied the charge.
Dodiyar, whose organization represents tribal political factions in some areas bordering Rajasthan, had said in his political affidavit during the assembly elections that he was contesting with just Rs 10,000.
Facing possible arrest after the police got clearance from the state Assembly Speaker, the 33-year-old MLA, in a scathing video statement, vowed to counter the baseless allegations, attributing them to a conspiracy by the ruling BJP government.
Dodiyar reaffirmed his commitment to expose fraudulent medical practitioners like the one who filed the alleged false complaint.
Claiming political vendetta, Dodiyar, the only BAP member in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, criticized the timing of the allegation as indicating a smear campaign ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The BAP, which has three MLAs in neighboring Rajasthan, advocates a separate state for the Bhil tribe spread across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Ratlam Superintendent of Police Rahul Lodha said that charges including extortion, assault for monetary gain, violence, use of objectionable language, criminal intimidation and common intention were registered against Dodiyar under the IPC.
“The investigation is ongoing. The MLA will be arrested after following the legal procedure like informing the MP Assembly Speaker,” the officer said.
Highlighting Dodiyar’s past history, Lodha pointed to his prior involvement in the criminal record, emphasizing on his ongoing legal battle, including an alleged rape case.
He said that the complaint regarding the latest allegation has come from medical store owner Tapan Rai after investigation.
In a viral appeal to tribal communities, Dodiyar urged residents of Ratlam, Jhabua and Alirajpur to rally against the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, citing continued oppression by the ruling party.
Dodiyar, who contested the election on a budget of Rs 2.38 lakh, disclosed assets of Rs 18 lakh and liabilities of Rs 10 lakh in his election affidavit, while he had just Rs 10,000 in hand at that time, making him the financially weakest candidate. Marked in.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
