(The Hindu
Oct 09, 2007)
Rajasthan Court drops all charges against Togadia
Special Correspondent
Case relates to ‘Trishul diksha’
Prosecution sought to withdraw
charges
Court also discharges other VHP workers
JAIPUR: The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) in Ajmer on Monday discharged Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Pravin Togadia from the charges levelled against him in connection with the infamous “Trishul diksha” (ceremonial distribution of tridents) in Ajmer on April 13, 2003.
The court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ajay Shukla dropped the charges against Mr. Togadia after the prosecution seeking to withdraw them.
Mr. Togadia was taken into custody following the distribution of tridents during the previous Government in Rajasthan, headed by Ashok Gehlot. The VHP leader was jailed in Ajmer for nine days after his arrest.
The Bharatiya Janata Party Government, which came to power in the State after the November 2004 elections, withdrew many of the cases filed against workers of the VHP and the RSS.
Though the Government did not withdraw the Togadia case along with the others, Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria had made it known that it would not pursue the matter.
The initial charges against Mr.Togadia, who had carried out a series of “Trishul dikshas” in Rajasthan in the run up for the Assembly elections in the State, included those under Arms Act, for disturbing communal harmony and for conspiring against the State.
However, challan was not field against him in the court under the conspiracy clause.
The court also discharged the cases against Gopi Krishna, Jhaveri Lal, Sarveshwar Agarwal and Bhagwati Prasad, the VHP workers arrested along with Mr.Togadia. After his bail, Mr.Togadia had appeared personally only once in the court in connection with this case.
|
