Allahabad HC Stays Criminal Proceedings Against Jayant Chaudhary in Election Violation Case

Allahabad HC Stays Criminal Proceedings Against Jayant Chaudhary in Election Violation Case

VoM News Desk | January 8, 2024 | 11:31 PM IST | Uttar Pradesh | Follow on Google News

Allahabad HC Stays Criminal Proceedings Against Jayant Chaudhary in Election Violation Case

Allahabad HC Stays Criminal Proceedings Against Jayant Chaudhary in Election Violation Case

The Allahabad High Court intervened on Monday to halt the ongoing criminal proceedings initiated against Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary for alleged violations of the model code and COVID-19 norms during the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections in Gautam Buddh Nagar. Justice Sanjay Kumar Singh, hearing Mr. Chaudhary’s plea, used Section 482 (inherent powers of the high court) to suspend the proceedings and directed the state government’s counsel to respond within four weeks. The court also granted two weeks to the applicant’s counsel to file a rejoinder affidavit, scheduling the case for the next hearing after six weeks.

The case stems from an FIR filed against former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary, and others at Dadri police station in Greater Noida during 2022. The charges included various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Epidemic Diseases Act, alleging violations of the model code of conduct and COVID-19 norms. A charge sheet was subsequently filed against them on October 12, 2022.

During the hearing, Jayant Chaudhary’s counsel, Imran Ullah, argued that the applicant had been accompanying Akhilesh Yadav, and the entire criminal proceedings against Akhilesh Yadav had already been suspended by another bench of the court. Ullah emphasized Chaudhary’s limited role in the incident, being present on the bus alongside Akhilesh Yadav. He further contended that the complaint in such cases should originate from the person whose order was violated, which did not happen in this instance. Moreover, Ullah pointed out that all witnesses in the case were policemen whose statements were identical, thereby questioning their reliability.

VoM News Desk

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