Case filed against former K'taka 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 nomination for Jewargi Assembly seat which goes to poll on May 22 yesterday.

Official sources told UNI that 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 District Election Officer, also suspended Mr Singh's Personal Assistant Sanganagouda for participating in filing of nomination along with Mr Singh.

Mr Sanganagouda, who was working in State Slum Clearance Board was on deputation as PA for Mr Dharam Singh, who was Opposition Leader in the Dissolved Assembly. However, even after Assembly was dissolved he (Mr Sanganagouda) 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 conducts have been filed since election code came into effect and Chargesheets in respect to 51 cases have been field in the court.

UNI DP MSP TS1906