Bihar: Rudy, Pappu charged for poll code violation

First Investigation Reports have been filed against Bihar minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and four Members of Parliament including Bharatiya Janata Party's Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Pappu Yadav of Rashtriya Janata Dal and his wife for allegedly violating the model code of conduct for elections.

Lok Janshakti Party's Ranjita Ranjan, Pappu's spouse, and RJD MP Ramkripal Yadav have also been booked on the charge.

State minister for welfare Jitan Ram Manjhi was found returning to Patna from Gaya in a beacon-fitted official car in Nalanda district on Monday afternoon by sub-divisional officer Juity Kumar who took him to the Ekangarsarai police station.

Kumar lodged a case against Manjhi under section 171 (F) of the Representation of People Act for using an official car in violation of the model code of conduct.

The sub-divisional officer said he allowed the minister to return to Patna in a private vehicle and the official car was seized.

An FIR against Rudy, BJP spokesman and Rajya Sabha MP, was filed on Sunday at Bhagwan Bazaar police station on the directive of Saran district magistrate accusing him of holding a press conference at the circuit house in Chapra on March 4 in violation of the model code of conduct, sources said.

RJD Lok Sabha member from Madhepura, Pappu Yadav, who was recently granted regular bail by the Patna high court in the Communist Party of India-Marxist Member of Legislative Assembly Ajit Sarkar murder case in which he has been convicted by a subordinate court, and his wife who represents Saharsa—also faced the music for violating the model code of conduct.

The duo have been charged for attending public receptions under Sadar, K-hat and Kasba police stations without seeking prior permission from competent authorities in violation of the model code of conduct for elections, official sources said.

Another FIR was filed on Sunday at the Bhagwanganj police station in Patna district charging Ramkripal Yadav and two others with holding a public meeting at Kharoch without permission. Besides Yadav, former RJD MLA Dharmendra Kumar and Masaurhi block RJD president Chandrashekhar Prasad Singh have also been named in the FIR, Deputy Superintendent of Police V K Verma said.

Meanwhile, a local court in Muzzafarpur on Monday ordered the police to register a FIR against Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and four others in connection with the collapse of a rail overbridge in Muzaffarpur claiming three lives on February 16 last.

Hearing a petition filed by one Ashok Kumar Singh, who lost his wife in the overbridge collapse, Chief Judicial Magistrate J K Sinha ordered the district police to register a FIR against the minister, executive director of a construction company named IRCON, B P Singh and three other company officials.