Court issues warrant against Uttarakhand CM

Judicial Magistrate Jyoti Bala issued the warrant against Bahuguna yesterday and adjourned the hearing of the case to October 23.

When contacted Anand Bahuguna, Officer-on-Special Duty to the Chief Minister declined to comment on the issue, saying that model code of conduct was in force due to 2012 Tehri Lok Sabha by-poll.

Bahuguna's son Saket is the Congress candidate for the by-poll. The by-poll was necessitated as Bahuguna resigned from the seat following his election to the state assembly from Sitarganj.

In a separate case, the court issued fresh bailable warrants against three ministers of Uttarakhand - Harak Singh Rawat, Yashpal Arya and Dinesh Agarwal and Congress legislator Kunwar Singh Champion, for allegedly rioting and injuring policemen during a protest near the state Assembly on December 21, 2009.

The court had issued warrants against the four Congress leaders on June 3, 2011.

The court issued the warrants observing that the police had failed to excute them in last 15 months.

If the court has issued warrants, they will be executed, Senior Superintendent of Police Neeru Garg said.

Jogiwala police had registered a case under Public Property Damage Act 2004 against Bahuguna in 2007.

Bahuguna, who was the Congress candidate in the Tehri Lok Sabha by-poll in 2007, was charged with sticking poster and banners on government property without taking prior permission.

The warrant against Bahuguna was issued on June 16, 2011.

The warrant was issued at the native address of Bahuguna in Bugyadi village of Pauri Garhwal district. In pursuit of the warrant, police team visited the village and apprised the court that Bahuguna was not found on the address.