Court to conduct inquiry into Sharad Pawar's 'vote twice' remark

MUMBAI: A court in Navi Mumbai has ordered an inquiry into the `vote twice' remark made by Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar in March 2014, just before the Lok Sabha elections.

"As per my view, the investigation by the police is not just and thereby in the facts and circumstances of the case inquiry be conducted by this court under section 202 of the Criminal Procedure Code," the magistrate of APMC court said in the order.

The order was passed on August 27 but its certified copy was made available today.

Addressing a gathering of mathadi workers (head loaders) at Vashi APMC (Navi Mumbai), Pawar had asked them to take advantage of multi-phase polling in the state by voting first at their home towns and again at the places where they worked.

As the remark had triggered a controversy, Pawar later clarified that he was only joking.

Chandulal Mulani has filed a complaint against Pawar in the court. He has also made Election Commission a respondent.

"We have full faith in court-conducted inquiry; other investigating agencies could be prejudicial," said Mulani's lawyer, advocate Ashish Giri.