Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh high court on Tuesday issued bailable warrants against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator Kamlesh Kalra and four officers owing to contempt of court for not completing the investigation into the caste certificate case involving the former. To note, Kalra was in the news recently after his house was attacked by around 40 goons post a tiff with now sacked BJP corporator Jitu Yadav.
The officers issued notices included principal secretary, backward class and minorities welfare department, commissioner, backward class and minorities welfare department, secretary, backward class welfare department and sub divisional magistrate (SDM) Juni, Indore.
The case pertains to an election petition filed by Sunil Yadav, who was Congress candidate from Ward No 65 in the last municipal elections. In his petition, Yadav had claimed that the caste certificate, which Kalra presented during his nomination, was fake. The court had ordered investigation into the case. In the contempt petition, advocate Manish Yadav who was present in court on behalf of the petitioner, said that the court had ordered the respondents to compulsorily complete the investigation within six months, in February 2024. “Despite passing of the deadline, the investigation has not started,” the counsel said.
He argued that the investigation was being deliberately delayed. It was also alleged that the officers were not investigating the case as Kalra belonged to the ruling party. After listening to the arguments, the HC issued a bailable warrant of Rs 5000 each against Kalra and four officers. The next hearing has been fixed for March 3.
