3 UP politicians acquitted in poll code violation case

A local court in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia has acquitted former BSP MP Babban Rajbhar and former SP MLAs Sanatan Pandey and Ram Iqbal Singh in an 11-year-old case related to the violation of the election code of conduct and delivering of provocative speeches.

According to the prosecution, the three politicians were booked on December 2, 2012, for violation of the code of conduct and giving inflammatory speeches.

The cases were filed against them at Rasda police station on the complaint of Sharad Kumar Singh, the executive magistrate of the election flying squad.

Special Court MP MLA Additional CJM Tapasya Tripathi's acquitted all three for lack of evidence.

Babban Rajbhar has been a BSP MP from Salempur and contested the last assembly election from BJP from Rasda.

Sanatan Pandey and Ram Iqbal Singh are former MLAs from the Chilkahar constituency.

Sanatan Pandey, who had contested the last Lok Sabha election from Ballia on an SP ticket, was a minister of state in the Akhilesh Yadav government.
[IANS/NS]