Around 20 Congress workers, including six who have been arrested, have been booked on charges including attempt to murder, voluntarily causing grievous hurt and rioting following the alleged defacement of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s residence during a party protest, police sources said on Wednesday.
The action followed a protest outside Kumar’s residence in the Vijay Nagar area on Monday. Congress workers allegedly wrote slogans in black paint on the gate and wall of the house before leaving the spot.
The six arrested accused, Congress leaders Anil Yadav, Mukesh Dhangar, Manoj Gaur, Rajesh Kumar, Raja Gautam and Pankaj Chaudhary, were sent to jail on Tuesday, police said.
The case was registered at Hariparvat police station on the basis of a written complaint filed by Sub-Inspector Gaurav Gupta. The complaint named eight people and 15–20 unidentified Congress workers.
The accused have been booked under Sections 109 (attempt to murder), 121 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter a public servant from performing his duty), 126 (wrongful restraint), 132 (assault or criminal force against a public servant), 191 (rioting by an unlawful assembly using force or violence), 333 (house-trespass after preparation to cause hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 351(2) (criminal intimidation) and 352 (intentional insult intended to provoke a breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Congress city president Amit Singh said the case should have been limited to provisions relating to the protest and alleged that police had invoked several “false” charges against the workers.
Singh said a Congress delegation would meet the police commissioner on Wednesday and demand that the alleged false charges be withdrawn.
The incident occurred as part of the Congress’ statewide agitation against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
(With inputs from PTI)