Special Court (MP and MLA) in Lucknow on Thursday sentenced Former Rajya Sabha member Raj Babbar to two years of imprisonment in connection with a case registered in 1996 in Agra for violating the model code of conduct during the Lok Sabha election.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 8500 on Raj Babbar. As per the court, Raj Babbar was convicted for obstruction of government work and assault.
Earlier in 1996, on the basis of a complaint by then-polling official Krishna Singh Rana, the case was filed against Babbar.
Rana filed his complaint to Wazirganj police station on May 2, 1996, claiming Babbar, Arvind Yadav, and other people forced their way into voting booth 192 at Sultan-e-Madaris school during the Lok Sabha elections and mistreated and obstructed Rana from carrying out his official responsibilities.
The complainant said that Babbar and his friends cornered Rana and poll worker Shiv Kumar Singh and falsely accused them of manipulating the election.
The complaint further claimed that the polling agent had nose and throat injuries, as well as damage to his lips. Rana said that he was saved by the intervention of other poll workers and police officers stationed at the voting booth.
Following an investigation, police filed a chargesheet against Babbar, Yadav, and others on September 23, 1996. Babbar and Yadav were issued warrants by the court because they disregarded the summons.
Babbar added that although he remembered dimly that such an occurrence had occurred, he had gone to the voting place after hearing claims of irregularities at the particular booth. He, however, denied that there had been any form of abuse at the site.