Bihar: 453 leaders booked for poll code violation

Veteran Janata Dal-United leader George Fernandes, Union Ministers Shakeel Ahmed and Kanti Singh, are among 453 leaders booked for violating the model of conduct for elections in Bihar, official sources said on Wednesday.

Besides the three, Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee President Anil Kumar Sharma, former MP Prabhunath Singh, Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Ram Kripal Yadav, Patna Mayor Sanjay Kumar and deputy mayor Santosh Mehta were among those, named in the FIRs for alleged violation of the code.

An FIR was lodged with the Muzaffarpur (town) police station by Executive Magistrate Shanker Mahto against Fernandes, the sitting MP, for moving around in a convoy of six vehicles, in violation of prohibitory orders which barred the movement in a convoy exceeding three vehicles on March 24, the sources said.

A total of 453 FIRs were lodged with different police stations state-wide for code violation against different leaders and political activists, of which 437 relate to defacement of property, including wall writing and violation of prohibitory orders.

The complaints were registered at different places in Bihar after the announcement of poll dates.

Similarly, Union Minister of state for Home and Congress' candidate Shakeel Ahmed is also facing the charge of code violation in which he secured bail after a Darbhanga court issued an arrest warrant against him.

The EC had on March 16 ordered shifting of the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police of Darbhanga district and suspended the sub-divisional officer of Darbhanga on the issue of violation of the model code of conduct by Ahmed, who allegedly held a political meeting at Koeti High School on March 13 without seeking permission of local authorities.

The SDO, Darbhanga, Bhagat, was suspended for having allowed the meeting without securing EC's permission, while the DM and SP were shifted for their alleged complicity.

Union Minister of State for Tourism Kanti Singh was arrested and released on bail in Sasaram on March 28 for violation of the model code of conduct for elections.

Singh, RJD candidate for Karakat parliamentary constituency, former state minister Iliyas Hussain, party MLA from Obra Satyanarain Yadav and their four supporters were booked for violating prohibitory orders.