Varun charged with attempt to murder, rioting

Varun Gandhi, Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, has been charged with attempt to murder, rioting and other offences in an FIR filed in connection with the violence that erupted in Pilibhit on Saturday. The police today maintained a close vigil to maintain law and order in this district.

Varun, 29, along with Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Kalraj Mishra, local Member of Legislative Assembly Sukhlal and former party MLA B K Gupta, have been named in another FIR registered for violation of prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC on Saturday when the BJP candidate courted arrest in a case related to his alleged anti-Muslim speeches, Kotwali police sources said.

Varun, who is in judicial custody, has been booked under sections 147, 148 and 149 (rioting and related charges), section 307 (attempt to murder), section 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), section 336 (doing any act that endangers human life or the personal safety of others) in connection with the violence around the district jail on Saturday, they said.

The FIR relating to rioting and other chages has been filed by Pilibhit district jailor Mukesh Arora, against Varun and his supporters, after BJP activists fought a pitched battle with the police and laid a siege of the jail premises.

Meanwhile, Pilibhit District Magistrate Ashok Chauhan discounted the allegation of BJP Member of Parliament and Varun's mother Maneka Gandhi -- that a Muslim officer had injured several of her son's supporters.

Chauhan said, "I strictly don't agree with the comments of Maneka Gandhi. The person she is naming was not at all deployed at that place. We checked the records and we were careful about his deployment. He was at another place and the allegation is totally false," he said.

On the situation in Pilibhit, he said, "It is under control. People may be spreading rumours but as of now the situation in the city and rural areas is totally under control".

In Lucknow, Additional Director General of Police Brij Lal said, "A close vigil is being maintained in Pilibhit with the deployment of adequate number of personnel from the Provincial Armed Constabulary and police".

Speaking about the cases registered against Gandhi, who courted arrest on Saturday, he said, "A case under section 188 of IPC has been registered against all those who violated the prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC".

BJP workers, who were demanding Varun's release, had pelted bricks and laid a siege of the district jail on Saturday.