Criminal contempt petition against Mayawati in HC

A criminal contempt petition has been filed against UP Chief Minister Mayawati in the Allahabad High Court for allegedly giving a 'political clean chit' to controversial BSP candidate from Varanasi, Mukhtar Ansari, facing trial in a number of criminal cases.

The petition has been filed by a former BJP MLA and the wife of slain legislator Krishnanand Rai, in whose murder case Ansari has been named as an accused.

Adjourning hearing in the case till May 18, a division bench comprising justices Vinod Prasad and Y C Gupta yesterday asked the petitioner, Alka Rai, to approach the state's Advocate General and seek his consent for filing the criminal contempt.

The petitioner had alleged that while campaigning for Ansari, who is also the sitting MLA from Mau, Mayawati had given speeches whereby she had virtually given a 'political clean chit' to her party's Varanasi nominee against whom seven criminal cases are pending in various courts.

Hence the BSP supremo's statements amounted to criminal contempt, the petitioner contended.