The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Akhilesh Govt moved to bury 19 cases against political leaders
Kidnapping, fraud, culpable homicide among charges; 13 get SP poll tickets
ON SUNDAY afternoon, UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi joined hands to underline the theme of their alliance for the assembly elections next month — progress, prosperity and clean governance. On one issue, at least, that’s easier said than done.
An investigation of official records by The Indian Express has revealed that over the last five years, the SP government moved to bury at least 19 cases against senior political leaders from the state. These covered a wide range of alleged offences: from rioting, fraud and kidnapping to extortion and, in one case, even culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The beneficiaries include seven state ministers, 10 SP MLAS, the BJP MP from Agra Ram Shankar Katheria and senior BJP leader and Union Minister Kalraj Mishra. In each case, the application for withdrawal was filed in court on grounds of “public interest and interest of justice”.
The list of cases includes one under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986, against Minister Raghuraaj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya, which was withdrawn in July 2014. It also contains historysheeters and SP MLAS Abhay Singh and Vijay Mishra. Singh’s case was withdrawn in February 2014, while the petition on Mishra’s case is pending.
Six SP Ministers and seven of the 10 MLAS from the party — except Vijay Mishra and Bhagwan Sharma — on the list have been given tickets to contest the polls next month.