BJP MP Rita Bahuguna Joshi convicted for model code violation during 2012 UP assembly polls
Lucknow, Nov 5: A special court on Friday held BJP MP Rita Bahuguna Joshi and four others guilty of violation of the model code of conduct during the 2012 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.
The special court for cases involving MPs and MLAs later ordered their release on probation for a period of six months.
Joshi was a Congress leader in 2012 and joined the BJP in 2016.
The four other convicts are Prabha Srivastava, Ram Singh, Manoj Chaurasia and Sanjai Yadav.
According to the prosecution, the FIR in the case was lodged at Krishna Nagar police station against Joshi, who was contesting the election on a Congress ticket, for addressing a public rally in Bajranj Nagar mohalla even after the time for campaigning had ended.
The police investigated the case and submitted the charge sheet against the convicts on June 17, 2012. An accused, Shakil Ahmad, had died during pendency of trial.
Joshi is currently the BJP MP from Allahabad.
Special court judge A K Srivastava directed the convicts to file two sureties of Rs 20,000 each and a personal bond of the same amount before the district probation officer for maintaining good conduct during the probation period.
The court directed the convicts to appear before the probation officer within the next 30 days. The period of six months would be calculated from the date of appearance of the convicts before the probation officer.
Forwarding a copy of the order to the probation officer, the court warned the convicts that if they did not appear before the probation officer within stipulated time, it would summon them again and hear them on quantum of sentence.
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BJP councillor dies by suicide after being threatened by youths following party's bypoll win
Agartala (PTI): A BJP councillor of Dharmanagar Municipal Council (DMC) in North Tripura died by suicide on Tuesday after he was allegedly threatened and humiliated by a group of youth following the saffron party's victory in the Dharmanagar bypoll, police said.
Rahul Kishore Roy, who was also the BJP's Yuva Morcha mandal president, took the extreme step a day after BJP candidate Jahar Chakraborti won the bypoll for the Dharmagar Assembly constituency by a massive margin.
Chief Minister Manik Saha expressed shock over the youth leader's death and assured an impartial inquiry into the allegations brought by the deceased’s wife, Ananya Bhattacharjee.
"I am shocked by the untimely death of Rahul Kishore Roy. May his soul rest in peace, and also offer my sympathy to the bereaved family. I also assured that an impartial inquiry will be conducted following the complaint of the deceased's wife", the CM wrote on Facebook.
Roy's wife has lodged a complaint with the local police station, holding seven persons responsible for her husband's death.
"Soon after the announcement of the results of the bypoll to the Dharmagnar Assembly bypoll, six to seven youths attacked our residence at Chandrapur at 3 pm and started hurling abuses at my husband. They also assaulted me to hand over my husband to them," she stated in the complaint.
Ananya said, "The same gang returned late at night again, attacked our house and hurled two or three bombs. They also threatened to eliminate my husband whenever he is found at Dharmanagar."
Deeply upset by the attacks and threats, my husband committed suicide by hanging from the ceiling early Tuesday morning. I urge the Officer in Charge (OC), Dharmanagar police station, to investigate against these people for justice, she said.
"Based on a specific complaint, we have registered a case, and an investigation is underway. No one has been arrested yet," SP, North Tripura, Avinash Kumar Rai said.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the state’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416.)
