Date:19/08/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/08/19/stories/2007081960261200.htm

National

Minister surrenders, gets bail in election case

M.A.A. Fatmi

Darbhanga: Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development M.A.A Fatmi on Saturday surrendered before a court here. It granted him bail in connection with a case of violating the model code of conduct during the 2005 Lok Sabha election.

Chief Judicial Magistrate Vijay Kumar Srivastava directed Mr. Fatmi to furnish a bail bond of Rs. 5,000 and a surety of the same amount.

Election Officer Sanjay M. Kaul had found

Mr. Fatmi, a senior Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and Lok Sabha member, campaigning at Hayaghat in Darbhanga parliamentary constituency on November 12, 2005, though the campaign for the poll had officially ended in the evening.

Mr. Kaul had lodged a case against him under Section 188/34 of the Indian Penal Code, 126 of the Representation of People’s Act and Section 9 of the Loudspeaker Act.

The CJM on May 12, 2007, had taken cognisance of the case and issued an arrest warrant against him. — PTI