Thandla/Meghnagar (Madhya Pradesh): Ahead of local civic body elections in Jhabua, a case was registered against a BJP leader for obstructing government work. The case was registered after one Congress candidate Manish Baghel from Thandla complained that BJP Mandal president Samarth Upadhyay alias Golu was running away with his nomination papers and other documents before they could submit them to the returning officer.
Based on Baghel’s complaint, a case was registered against Upadhyay under Section 353 (criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty).
On Monday, being the last day for nominations, a large number of prospective councilor candidates reached the election office to submit their nominations. At the last moment, an officer asked the candidate present there to keep their documents on the table for verification. On which Congress candidate Baghel from Ward No 05 had placed his nomination on the table in the presence of the officials.
Baghel claimed that his nomination was found missing from the table. He accused BJP Mandal president Samarth Upadhyay alias Golu, who was present at that time, of taking away his nomination along with other documents. After the incident, there was chaos at the spot. The people present there including the officials tried to call the BJP leader by contacting him on his mobile, but at that time his mobile also came off. Following this, there was a rumor spread that the BJP leader ran away with the nomination form of the Congress candidate.
However, before the end of the nomination time, the BJP Mandal president came back with the nomination form of the Congress candidate, which was later submitted.
The returning officer filed a case
After the entire incident, returning officer Anil Bhana registered a complaint against Upadhyay at Thandla police station for obstruction of government work. Police station in-charge Kaushalya Chauhan said that the case was registered against Upadhyay under Section 353 of IPC. The matter is being investigated, and Upadhyay will be arrested soon.
Notably, the entire nomination form submission process is going on under the close watch of CCTV and Congress leaders here claimed that Upadhyay’s mischievous act was recorded in cameras and that was enough to book him.
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