SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, May 31: The Special MP-MLA court of Dhanbad today held two-time former BJP Jharia MLA Sanjiv Singh and Marxist Coordination Committee (MCC) leader Rustam Ansari guilty in nine-year-old case of Model Code of Conduct violation.
The Special Judicial Magistrate of MP –MLA court Santoshni Murmu while delivering the judgement held both the leaders guilty under Section 188 of IPC.
Senior advocate Md Javed who appeared in court for Sanjiv Singh and Md Sahanawaj who appeared for MCC leader Rustam Ansari said that the court, at the same time, ordered to free both of them under Section 3 with a warning not to do it in the future.
During December 2014 Jharkhand assembly election, the then nodal officer Churka Murmu on the directive of the Election Commission of India filed an FIR in Jorapokhar police station against BJP candidate Sanjiv Singh, Congress candidate Neeraj Singh and MCC candidate Rustam Ansari for violation of model code of conduct.
All three candidates were contesting from the Jharia assembly constituency in the election.
During patrolling in the constituency nodal officer Churka Murmu seized the flags of all the three parties in public places and found them in violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
Investigating officer Alokmani Karketta filed a charge sheet in court against them on June 30, 2015. The APP said the statement of six witnesses was recorded during the trial.
The case was closed against Congress candidate Neeraj Singh who was gunned down by unidentified assailants in 2017.
Sanjiv Singh, two-time BJP MLA ( 2009 and 2014), is presently in Dhanbad jail in connection with the Neeraj Singh murder case. He was today brought to court in a wheelchair. Rustam Ansari also appeared in court.
