Guj court orders case against minister for poll code violation

A metropolitan court ordered registration of criminal case against Gujarat Home minister Pradipsinh Jadeja in a model code of conduct violation case in connection with the 2007 Assembly polls.

Jadeja was the BJP candidate from Asarwa constituency that year.

Then city Congress president Pankaj Shah had filed a complaint against Jadeja with Election Commission on October 22, 2007 alleging violation of model code of conduct.

Shah on Monday said court found Jadeja had violated poll code and therefore ordered that a criminal case be registered.

The court of additional chief judicial magistrate J G Damodra also summoned Jadeja under the RP Act.

"On the collector's complaint, the court upheld that Jadeja is guilty (of violation of model code of conduct under the provisions of RP Act), and ordered filing of criminal case against him," Shah told reporters while addressing a press conference.

Based on Shah's October 2007 complaint to EC, which said Jadeja violated MCC as pamphlets distributed by him during Navratri festival having prayers did not have details of the publisher, the court upheld that, prima facie, an offence under section 127 (a)(1), 127 (2) (a), and 127 (a)(4) of the Representation of the People Act.

These sections prohibit printing of election pamphlets or posters without the names and addresses of the publisher.

The model code of conduct was in force when pamphlets having the photos of Jadeja and then chief minister Narendra Modi were distributed in his constituency, Shah had alleged.