Court asks Kejriwal to appear in 10 days over poll code breach

GANDHIDHAM: A local court in Kutch district of Gujarat today issued a notice to Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal and asked him to appear within ten days for alleged breach of model code of conduct during his 'fact finding' tour last month.

Gandhidham Judicial Magistrate K D Prasad ordered Kejriwal to appear before the court here in connection with the violation of the election code.

The former Delhi Chief Minister, during his four-day "reality check" tour of Gujarat, had addressed a public gathering using a loud speaker at Rishabh corner area of Gandhidham town of Kutch district without prior permission.

The Gandhidham police on March 6 had lodged an FIR against Kejriwal and five other party workers for allegedly breaching the notification issued by the District Magistrate in connection with the election.

Kejriwal and his party workers' alleged crime has also been videographed by the election officers of Gandhidham town.

Police has charged six persons including Kejriwal under section 188 of IPC for showing disobedience to order, duly promulgated by a public servant.

If the offence under Section 188 of IPC is proved, then it can attract a jail term of upto six months and fine up to Rs 2,000.

"Police had earlier arrested four AAP workers for breaching the district collector's notification, who were later freed on regular bail," Gandhidham B division Police Inspector P M Parmar said.

Kejriwal's Gujarat tour was mired in controversy when he ended up with three EC complaints against him for breaching poll norms.

The AAP chief also faced other two cases for non-payment of road toll and for his alleged unparliamentray utterance against some of the BJP functionaries.

Gujarat police had also briefly detained Kejriwal for causing traffic disorder following his party's cavalcade.

Kejriwal had travelled to Patan and Kutch district of the state on March 5 and 6 to "inspect" the development claims made by the BJP prime ministerial nominee and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Later he had claimed that there was no development in Gujarat.