The court of sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM), GK Tiwary, on Thursday acquitted Chief Minister Raghubar Das along with BJP leader Chandrashekhar Mishra and party member Amar Sharma of charges of violation of Model Code of Conduct while campaigning for 2009 Assembly polls.
The Chief Minister reached at the Jamshedpur court at around 11 am in his trademark white kurta and pyjama from his Agrico-residence. About 500 supporters were also present at the court premises.
Soon after their arrival, the court pronounced the verdict and after completing the court proceedings BJP leaders came out of the court in 15 minutes.
According to assistant public prosecutor, the court acquitted the Chief Minister and two other accused of lack of evidence and contradictory statements of witnesses examined in the case.
“We had recorded statements of three witnesses in the case and all their statements contradicted each other,” said APP Rajiv Singh.
The CM and two other BJP party members had been facing charges for violating the Model Code of Conduct after party flags were put up on the premises of a temple in Sitaramdera while campaigning for 2009 Assembly polls.
Notably, Das who was a sitting MlA and was contesting for the Jamshedpur East assembly constituency from BJP had fixed party flags on a party office at the premises of a temple in Sitaramdera . After the unauthorised party office had come into the notice of the administration, the then sub-divisional officer, Dhalbhum, Prabhat Kumar Kartik had lodged an FIR against the trio.
All three had obtained bail after their names had been implicated in the case and attended all court hearings.
Das after coming out of the court visited his ancestral house at Bhalubhasa and interacted with his relatives and friends staying at the house and then left for his Agrico residence.