Pappu Yadav and Ranjit Ranjan Exonerated in 15-Year-Old Model Code of Conduct Breach Case
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Patna, Jan 10 (NationPress) Rajesh Ranjan, known widely as Pappu Yadav, an Independent Member of Parliament from Purnea, alongside his wife, Ranjit Ranjan, a Congress Rajya Sabha MP, has been cleared of charges in a 15-year-old case concerning the violation of the Model Code of Conduct applicable during the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
On Thursday, the MP/MLA court concluded its sessions and acquitted Pappu Yadav, Ranjit Ranjan, and their associate, Santosh Yadav, due to insufficient evidence.
Legal counsel Murari Choubey and Braj Kishore Singh, representing Pappu Yadav, indicated that the prosecution's inability to provide adequate proof led to the case's dismissal.
The legal proceedings began on March 8, 2009, when Sanjay Upadhyay, the then Sub-Divisional Officer and Deputy Collector of Land Reforms for Purnea, filed a First Information Report (FIR) at the Kehat police station in the district.
The accusations were rooted in the display of banners and posters at Rangbhumi Ground to welcome Pappu Yadav as he journeyed from Katihar to Purnea.
A significant procession was held in his honor, which the district administration classified as a breach of the Model Code of Conduct during the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
The court established that the prosecution could present only one witness, whose testimony did not corroborate the charges against the accused.
Consequently, the court acquitted all three parties, effectively concluding the case after 15 years.
Pappu Yadav was elected as an Independent MP from Purnea in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, while his wife, Ranjit Ranjan, serves as a Rajya Sabha MP from Chhattisgarh, representing the Congress party.
Pappu Yadav, a significant political figure in Bihar, recently attracted attention during the Bihar Public Service Commission protests.
This acquittal signifies a legal triumph for the couple, enabling them to concentrate on their political endeavors without the burden of this long-standing case.
