BSP candidate campaigns on bullock cart

29-year-old Varun, along with Uttar
Pradesh BJP chief Kalraj Mishra, local MLA Sukhlal and former party MLA
B K Gupta, have been named in another FIR registered for violation of
prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC on Saturday when the BJP
candidate courted arrest in a case related to his alleged anti-Muslim
speeches, Kotwali police sources said.

Varun, who is in judicial
custody, has been booked under sections 147, 148 and 149 (rioting and
related charges), 307 (attempt to murder), 332 (voluntarily causing
hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 336 (doing any act that
endangers human life or the personal safety of others) and certain
sections of IPC and public safety and certain state acts for the
violence around the district jail in Pilibhit, they said.

The
FIR relating to rioting and other chages has been filed by Pilibhit
district jailor Mukesh Arora against Varun and his supporters after BJP
activists fought a pitched battle with the police and laid a siege of
the jail premises.

Meanwhile, Pilibhit District Magistrate Ashok
Chauhan discounted the allegation of BJP MP and Varun’s mother Maneka
Gandhi that a Muslim officer had injured several of supporters and said
he was not deployed there.

Chauhan said ,”I strictly don’t agree
with the comments of Maneka Gandhi. The person she is naming was not at
all deployed at that place.

“We checked the records and we were
careful about his deployment. He was at another place and the
allegation is totally false,” he said.

On the situation in
Pilibhit, he said, “it is under control. People may be spreading
rumours but as of now the situation in the city and rural areas is
totally under control”.

In Lucknow, Additional Director General
of Police Brij Lal, said, “A close vigil is being maintained in
Pilibhit with deployment of adequate number of personnel from
Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and police”.

Asked about the
cases registered against Gandhi, who courted in Pilibhit on Saturday,
he just said, “A case under section 188 of IPC has been registered
against all those who violated the prohibitory orders under section 144
CrPC”.

During the violence on Saturday, BJP workers, who were
demanding Varun’s release, had indulged in heavy brick batting and laid
a siege of the district jail..

Karnataka poll process begins

Special Correspondent

BANGALORE: Notification for conducting the first phase of Lok Sabha
elections in 17 constituencies in Karnataka was issued on Saturday by
the Deputy Commissioners and the Returning Officers of the respective
districts.

With this, the process of elections has started and candidates have
commenced filing their nominations. Eight candidates filed their papers
on the first day.

Elections would be held in Chikkodi, Belgaum, Bijapur (SC), Gulbarga
(SC), Raichur (ST), Bidar, Koppal, Bellary (ST), Uttar Kannada,
Chitradurga (SC), Tumkur, Bangalore Rural, Bangalore North, Bangalore
Central and Bangalore South, Chickaballapur and Kolar (SC)
constituencies on April 23. In Bangalore North constituency, the
nominations could be delivered by a candidate or his proposers to the
Returning Officer and Deputy Commissioner, Bangalore District,
Bangalore, or to the Assistant Returning Officer and Chief
Administrative Officer, Department of Collegiated Education at the DC’s
office. April 4 is the last date for filing nominations.

The scrutiny of nomination papers would be taken up at 11 a.m on
April 6, at the office of the Deputy Commissioner/Returning Officer.
Notice of withdrawal of candidates may be delivered either by a
candidate or by any of his proposers or his election agent, who has
been authorised in writing by the candidate to deliver it to either of
the officers at his office on April 8 before 3 p.m. Nominations have
been filed by candidates in eight constituencies including four
independents.