Haryana minister, Delhi ex-mayor face bogus voting case

A fresh case has been slapped against Haryana minister Sukhbir Kataria here for bogus voting. Former South Delhi mayor Sarita Chaudhary is also an accused in the case, police said Saturday.

The fresh case has been registered Friday night at Sector 5 (old Gurgaon) police station under sections of cheating, preparing and using fake documents and criminal conspiracy (sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code).

Six first information reports (FIRs) have already been filed at the City police station against Youth and Sports Minister Kataria under these sections.

The court of Judicial Magistrate (1st class) Mahender Singh Monday also ordered an FIR against minister and Gurgaon Independent legislator Sukhbir Kataria and 55 others.

"South Delhi's former BJP mayor Sarita Chaudhary has her name in the Gurgaon voters list, claiming herself to be a resident of house number 1407, 8 Biswa, in Gurgaon. A total of 81 votes were made on the said address ID but information collected through RTI revealed house number 1407 is a vacant plot and no one is living there," RTI activist and complainant Om Prakash Kataria told the court.

Hearing the petition, the court passed the order under section 156 (3) of the Criminal Procedure Code.

A total of 12 cases of bogus votes are pending in different courts, in which the minister is accused of being the mastermind.

The first FIR against Sukhbir Kataria was registered Jan 5, 2013.

The complainant said it was strange the police remained inactive despite several FIRs lodged against the minister.