M A I N   N E W S

FIR against Rudy, bodyguards

Patna, April 29
The police has registered two cases against Union Civil Aviation Minister and BJP candidate from Chapra Rajiv Pratap Rudy and his bodyguards charging them with booth grabbing, indulging in scuffle, theft and intimidating voters during the April 26 poll.

Officer-in-charge of Amnaur police station Ravi Ranjan Pandey told PTI over the telephone that the cases (28/2004 and 29/2004) were registered on the complaints of Presiding Officer Ragho Prasad of Taraiya’s booth no 168 and an RJD activist Rajiv Singh.

Mr Pandey said Rudy had been named as an accused in the case (29/2004 dated April 27, 2004) filed by Mr Rajiv Singh in which he levelled allegations against the Union Minister of using abusive languages, intimidating the voters and of being witness to theft of Rs 3000 by his bodyguard from Mr Singh’s pocket at the time of polling at an Amnaur booth.

Similarly, in the case no 28/2004 of April 26, Rudy is alleged to have conspired with his bodyguards, including Mr Ojha, who had allegedly indulged in booth capturing, firing and intimidating the voters, he said.

Interestingly, the Police Superintendent (Saran) Mr Ganesh Kumar, was not aware of the cases against Mr Rudy. “I am 95 per cent sure that no no case has been registered against the Union Minister till yesterday,” Mr Kumar told PTI.

Mr Rudy has accused ruling RJD activists of indulging in large-scale booth capturing and violence during the April 26 poll in Chapra and called for countermanding the elections to the seat. RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav is pitted against Mr Rudy in the constituency.

When contacted, BJP state president Gopal Narayan Singh alleged that the cases were lodged at the behest of Mr Laloo Yadav after Mr Rudy had complained to the Election Commission.

Accusing Mr Rudy of trying to cover up wide-spread booth rigging by BJP workers during the poll, RJD supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav said the “law would take its own course”.

“The cases against Mr Rudy and his bodyguards have exposed the sinister design of the BJP to get the elections to the seat countermanded,” the former Chief Minister of Bihar said.

“It is not us but the BJP supporters who have lodged complaints against Mr Rudy and his bodyguards for indulging in booth capturing, skirmishes an intimidation,” Mr Yadav said.

He accused the Centre of conspiring to get the elections to the Chapra seat countermanded.

Mr Yadav described as “false and baseless” the allegation that RJD activists let loose a reign of terror and indulged in booth grabbing during the polls.

Mr Rajiv Pratap Rudi today procured bail in connection with two cases filed against him for allegedly damaging EVMs and manhandling voters during polling in Chapra Lok Sabha constituency on April 26. — PTI, UNI

Cases politically motivated: Rudy
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 29
Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy today said the election-related cases registered against him were “politically motivated” as they were lodged four days after polling in the Chapra constituency of Bihar, where he is contesting against RJD supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav.

“The cases of booth-capturing, scuffle and intimidation against me were lodged after I complained to the Election Commission. I complained to the poll panel that cases were being registered not only against me but also against several of my workers,” Mr Rudy told newspersons here.

“Polling (in Chapra) took place on April 26 and the cases were registered on April 29. No case was registered on April 27. It is obvious that this has been done deliberately and it is politically motivated,” he said. The police has registered two cases against him and his bodyguards charging them with booth grabbing, indulging in scuffle, theft and initimidating voters during the April 26 poll.