Rajkot, Apr 20 (PTI) A court in Gujarat"s Rajkot on Wednesday sentenced NCP MLA Kandhal Jadeja to 18 months in jail for escaping from police custody in 2007 following his arrest in a murder case. However, Jadeja, the only NCP MLA in Gujarat Assembly at present, will remain out as he has already spent 19 months in jail in this connection after his re-arrest in 2009, his lawyer said. Jadeja, who represents Kutiyana Assembly constituency in Porbandar district of the state, became a legislator for the first time in 2012 and won another term in 2017. The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) S V Mansuri held Jadeja guilty for escaping from the police custody and sentenced him to 18 months in jail besides imposing Rs 10,000 fine on him. Jadeja was acquitted by the court in 2011 in the 2005 murder case of BJP councillor Keshu Odedara. Of the total 14 persons accused in Jadeja"s escape case, one died during the pendency of trial, while 12 others were acquitted by the court. The court held Jadeja guilty under section 224 of the IPC (resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension), his lawyer Ansh Bharadwaj said. "But the MLA will remain out as he has already spent 19 months in jail in this connection after his arrest in 2009," he said. The court also granted Jadeja one month to approach the higher court for appeal against its order, he said. Jadeja was arrested by the police in the case of councillor"s murder. However, he had escaped from police custody while being admitted to a private hospital for treatment of some ailment. He remained absconding for nearly two years before being arrested in 2009. He was booked under IPC section 224 and also 225 (resistance or obstruction by a person to lawful apprehension of another person). A sessions court in Porbandar had in 2011 acquitted Jadeja in the murder case. The Gujarat High Court had upheld the order. PTI KA NP NP