Allahabad High Court Dismisses Varun Plea
The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday dismissed the bail application of BJP parliamentary candidate from Pilibhit, Varun Gandhi, who has been in the eye of a raging political storm for his alleged anti-Muslim statements at pre-election meetings in his Uttar Pradesh constituency.
The Court today rejected Varun Gandhi’s plea for quashing of an FIR filed against him for his alleged speeches.
In its order, a division bench comprising justices Imtiyaz Murtaza and S C Nigam said, “the petition stands dismissed”.
In his petition, 29-year-old Gandhi had challenged the FIR filed on March 17 at Barkheda Police Station under Sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act.
The charges entail a maximum punishment of three year jail term or fine or both.
Asked if Gandhi could be taken into custody, his counsel Gopal Chaturvedi said outside the court that “arrest is a matter of satisfaction of the investigating officer”.
The 29-year-old Gandhi had earlier been granted anticipatory bail by the Delhi High Court which expires on March 27.
