Case filed against former Karnataka CM Dharam Singh

Gulbarga, May 1 (UNI) A criminal case was filed against former Karnataka Chief Minister N Dharam Singh for violating Election Code, while filing his nomination for Jewargi seat to the assembly elections in Karnataka on May 22 Official sources told UNI that a case was registered under section 171-IPC against Mr Singh for coming to Returning Office in a rally with a number of vehicles and parking in the premises of Mini Vidhana Soudha under construction without prior permission at Jewargi about 40 km from here. It amounted to violation of model code of conduct.

Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey, who is also the District Election Officer, also suspended Mr Singh's Personal Assistant Sanganagouda for participating in nomination filing along with Mr Singh.

Mr Sanganagouda, who was working in State Slum Clearance Board was on deputation as Personal Assistant to Mr Dharam Singh, who was the Opposition leader in the Dissolved Assembly. However, even after Assembly was dissolved he did not report back to his parental department and continued to work as PA. He was kept under suspension with immediate effect and a departmental inquiry was ordered.

In the district, so far 109 cases of violation of code of conduct had been filed since election code came into effect and charge-sheets for 51 cases had been filed in the court.

UNI DP MSP KVV RL VC2001