BHOPAL: National BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra has been booked by Bhopal district police for holding a press conference on the roadside in city’s MP Nagar area without permission of the district election authorities on October 27.
On October 27 evening, the MP Nagar police had registered a case under Section 188 of IPC against the press conference organizer, former IAS officer and BJP leader SS Uppal.
Patra had addressed a press conference on the roadside in MP Nagar area over the National Herald case between 12-12.30 noon on October 27, despite the district election office having rendered permission to Uppal for holding the press conference between 1 pm and 3 pm the same day.
The Congress had raised the matter before the Election Commission through a complaint, after which the district election officer (Bhopal Collector) directed the MP Nagar police to lodge a case under Section 188 of IPC against the press conference organizer SS Uppal for violating Section 144 of CrPc.
However, unsatisfied by the action in the matter, the Congress complained the matter again to the EC, questioning why Patra who addressed the press conference was not named in the same case.
The EC subsequently directed the Bhopal District Election officer to probe the entire matter again, after which the video footage and other evidence pertaining to the October 27 roadside press conference were examined again.
During the examination of the video footage of the concerned press conference, Sambit Patra was found addressing the press conference, after which the opinion of public prosecutor was taken in the matter. The public prosecutor was of the opinion that the FIR in the matter was registered at MP Nagar police station on October 27 evening against SS Uppal and other unidentified BJP workers. Hence after finding Patra in the video footage, his name could be added in the case.
After the public prosecutor’s opinion, the district election office sent a letter to Sambit Patra to respond in the matter, but there was no response from Patra’s end, after which he too was booked in the case registered at MP Nagar police station on October 27 evening, a report sent to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO-MP) by the district election officer of Bhopal on November 6 said.