Chandigarh, Oct 15 (NationPress) Following a recent clash between Chandigarh Police and Punjab Police regarding custody issues, Navneet Chaturvedi, the president of the Janata Party, has approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He is seeking protection from arrest in connection with a criminal case where he is accused of forging legislators' signatures on nomination papers for the singular Rajya Sabha seat.

In his petition, Chaturvedi is requesting a 10-day arrest protection and is urging the Punjab Police to present the first information report (FIR) against him in court. He has also claimed that there were attempts by Punjab Police to abduct him on Tuesday.

Moreover, the Punjab Police have filed a petition in the high court to obtain his custody. Following the FIR registered in Ropar, a team from Punjab Police attempted to arrest him in Chandigarh, but he was taken into custody by the Chandigarh Police instead.

Reports indicate that on Monday, the Punjab Police lodged multiple FIRs after several MLAs from the Aam Aadmi Party alleged that their signatures were forged on the nomination papers submitted by Chaturvedi, who claims to be the national president of the Janata Party vying for the Rajya Sabha bypoll.

Advocate General Maninderjit Singh Bedi and Additional Advocate General Chanchal Singla are advocating for the transfer of custody of Chaturvedi to the Punjab Police, along with initiating contempt and departmental actions against officials who allegedly defied court orders.

Legal actions have been set in motion by the Punjab Police following complaints from current Members of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha (MLAs) regarding the purported forgery of their signatures on Chaturvedi's nomination papers.

A spokesperson for Punjab Police stated that the complainant MLAs had received messages and social media posts indicating that their names were listed as proposers in the nomination papers submitted by Chaturvedi to the Secretary of the Vidhan Sabha. Chaturvedi submitted two nominations, one on October 6 and another on October 13.

The MLAs expressed in their complaint that they discovered a handwritten list claiming to bear their signatures had been attached to the nomination papers, which was subsequently circulated on digital platforms.

The MLAs have categorically denied having signed or supported the nomination and assert that their signatures were forged and fraudulently used without their consent.

These forged documents, submitted to a constitutional authority, are considered a serious offense involving forgery, cheating, and criminal conspiracy. Consequently, FIRs have been registered against Chaturvedi at various police stations in the constituencies of the complainant MLAs.