Ajmer: An Ajmer court on April 16 rejected the bail plea of VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) leader Praveen Togadia, who is in jail since April 14 for defying the ban on distribution of tridents, and extended his judicial custody (JC) till April 30.

Amid tight police security, Togadia was produced at 7 A M before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Indu Parek, who pronounced the verdict a few hours after reserving her order following hearing of arguments from the prosecution and the defence counsels.

Togadia was ordered to be produced before the CJM on April 16 by Judicial Magistrate Lata Gaur on April 14 after she remanded him to two days judicial custody.

The VHP leader was arrested near Ajmer on April 13 night as he left Ajmer after "trishul diksha" programme for violating prohibitory orders and the ban on trident under the Arms Act.

Tridents were distributed by Togadia to VHP and Bajrang Dal activists at the programme.

In her judgement, Pareek said the bail was being rejected as Togadia has been booked under Section 121-A of IPC -"waging war or attempting anti-national activity ('rajdroh') - also and it was not in her jurisdiction to deal with the same.

"The District and Sessions Judge can hear it as the punishment under this Act is life imprisonment," she said.

Togadia's counsel Onkar Singh Lakhawat pleaded "121-A was not mentioned in the original FIR"; it was included in the case later besides three more IPC Sections.

Lakhawat told reporters the next course of action would be decided later and an appeal against Pareek's order would not be filed today.

PTI