Sting op: DEOs told to book 3 UP candidates

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, February 24

The District Election Officers (DEOs) of Moradabad and Agra have been instructed to file FIRs against three candidates involved in a sting operation.

Additional Chief Electoral Officer Pramod Kumar Pandey said following instructions of the Election Commission (EC), the DEOs of three seats were instructed to file FIRs against their respective candidates shown in the “Cash-for-vote scandal 2017” string operation by a news channel.

The candidates are: BSP’s Ateeq Ahmad Saifi contesting from Moradabad, SP’s Atul Garg from Agra North and Peace Party’s Rakesh Valmeeki from Agra Cantt.

The three have been caught on camera making statements to the effect of bribing of electors, suppression of election expenses and threatening to attempt booth capturing (in the case of Valmeeki), states the EC’s letter to the UP Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).

The EC had directed the CEO to take “necessary action” by issuing notices to the candidates “for breach of law under the relevant provisions” of the Representation of People (RP) Act, 1951.

They had allegedly breached the law under provisions relating to bribery at election.