BJP leader Lalji Tandon gets clean chit in sari stampede case

Lucknow, Apr 7 (UNI) The court today gave a clean chit to Leader of the opposition in Uttar Pradesh Assembly Lalji Tandon in the sari stampede case of Lucknow, which had claimed lives of 21 women.

The stampede had occurred on April 12, 2004 in a function to mark Mr Tandon's birthday at Chandrashekhar Azad Park in Mahanagar area here.

Special additional chief judicial magistrate Bal Mukund dismissed the protest application filed against the senior BJP leader and considered the final report (FR) filed by the police in the case as proper.

An FIR was filed in the stampede case on April 17, 2004 by the Chief Election Officer at Mahanagar police station against Mr Tandon and the organiser Brijendra Murari Yadav.

The police had filed an FR on May 28, 2005 giving respite to Mr Tandon.

However, the Election Commission petitioned the court on February 5, 2007 saying it was not satisfied with the police probe.

Another person Chetram had also filed a protest application on March 13, 2006 claiming his wife had died in the stampede.

Chetram contended his wife lost her life due to Mr Tandon and Yadav and as such, they were liable for criminal proceedings under section 171.

The stampede had taken place just before the 2004 general election, which the BJP-led NDA eventually lost.

UNI