Election News Digest: Post-Pollachi, DMK’s Stalin Flags Sexual Abuse Cases in Perambalur

Chennai: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President M.K. Stalin on Friday said that even as the Pollachi sexual abuse-cum-blackmail case probe is yet to reach a conclusion, a similarly shocking incident in Perambalur district has come to light involving a leader of the ruling AIADMK party.

In a statement here, Stalin alleged that the new scandal involves innocent women being lured with the promise of job interviews to lodges where they were sexually abused and also forced to grant sexual favours to an AIADMK leader.

Referring to a complaint lodged by Advocate P. Arul with the Perambalur Police, Stalin said the victims were not voicing their trauma for fear of social repercussions.

Stalin said the police were trying to do a cover-up operation on the case lodged against the sexual predators.

The DMK leader demanded that the state government probe the sexual assault complaint and arrest the culprits.

Stalin also said that there would be change of government in the state after May 23, and the new administration would investigate and take serious action against those officials who watered down the cases against the culprits in the Pollachi and Perambalur sexual abuse scandals.

By-elections to 22 state assembly constituencies are being held in Tamil Nadu along with the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.

The Perambalur All Women Police Station has registered a case in the matter against unknown persons.

AAP Files Criminal Complaint Alleging Gautam Gambhir Has 2 Voter IDs

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP0 on Friday claimed that the name of East Delhi BJP candidate Gautam Gambhir figures twice in electoral rolls and it has filed a criminal complaint against him in Tis Hazari Court over the issue.

AAP East Delhi candidate Atishi said it was a criminal matter and called for his "immediate disqualification".

"We have filed a criminal complaint in Tis Hazari Court against Gambhir," she said, alleging that the cricketer-turned-politician had two voter IDs of Rajendra Nagar and Karol Bagh, and faces up to one year in prison for this offence.

No immediate reaction was available from Gambhir.

SC Decline to Intefere With EC Order on Modi Biopic

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere with the Election Commission's order banning release of the biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi until May 19.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said it was not inclined to entertain the application filed by producers of the biopic challenging the EC's order.

"What survives in this now?" the bench, also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna, said.

The counsel, appearing for film producers, told the bench that the EC's order is contrary to the clearance given to the movie by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

"The issue is whether the movie can be exhibited at this time. The Election Commission has taken a decision. We are not inclined to entertain this," the bench said.

The EC had on April 22 submitted its detailed report to the top court on the biopic, saying the film was a "hagiography", which treated the subject with undue reverence, and its public screening during poll campaign would "tilt the electoral balance".

The poll panel had said in its 20-page report that the biopic "produces a political environment where an individual acquired cult status" and its public screening during the period when model code of conduct is in operation would favour a particular political party.

Tribunal Stays EC Suspension of Karnataka IAS Officer

Bengaluru: The Bengaluru Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal on Thursday stayed the suspension of Karnataka cadre IAS officer Mohammed Mohsin by the Election Commission (EC) for inspecting the helicopter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Sambalpur in Odisha on April 16 as an election observer.

"The suspension order issued by the EC cannot, on the face of it, lie. It is hereby stayed. Applicant will be eligible to re-join his former position under the government of Karnataka without any further ado about it," said Tribunal Member K.B. Suresh in the order.

Modi was on an election tour in the eastern state for the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) candidates contesting in the Lok Sabha and the state Assembly elections being held in four phases from April 11 to April 29.

Interestingly, in another order on April 20, the poll panel said the headquarters of 48-year-old Mohsin will be the office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka in Bengaluru in place of Sambalpur.

Mohsin, however, reported to Bengaluru on April 23, when polling for the remaining 14 Lok Sabha seats in the western and northern regions of the southern state was held.

Staying the suspension, the Tribunal said the charge against Mohsin was he checked the chopper though the Prime Minister was exempted from it under the Z-plus security category of the Special Protection Group.