Haryana Sports Minister Sukhbir Kataria today appeared in a local court which granted him bail in a bogus voters case related to 2009 Assembly elections.
Judge Ashok Mann granted bail to Kataria, who has been booked under various sections of IPC related to forgery, cheating and criminal conspiracy along with six others, who did not appear today despite summons against them.
On the direction of Punjab and Haryana High Court, the court in Gurgaon had started proceeding against the Minister and other six accused in the bogus voter I cards case taken up by a NGO Matdata Jagruk Manch.
Kataria and others have been booked under sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (Using as genuine a forged document) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy).
O P Kataria, General Secretary of the NGO, had moved court alleging that the seven people, including the Haryana sports and youth affairs minister and a retired food and civil supplies official, D S Kadyan, were involved in voters I cards forgery.
According to the counsel for Manch, Kadyan had allegedly helped the five other accused to prepare forged documents.
Sant Ram, Sandeep, Sanjeev, Sunana and Santosh had allegedly voted during 2009 Assembly Election in Gurgaon, Haryana on the basis of bogus voter cards. All the six accused did not appear in the court today.
The next date for hearing has been fixed on May 4, the counsel said..
Sukhbir Kataria had won from Gurgaon in 2009 Assembly lection.
After the NGO moved the High Court alleging irregularities, Gurgaon Police Commissioner investigated the matter and submitted a report to the court.
On the basis of proof and witnesses, the local court had on April 1 issued summons to seven, including the minister to appear on April 12.
