Criminal cases against four candidates in first phase of LS polls in Assam

Guwahati: Four candidates, including Congress nominees Gaurav Gogoi and Premlal Ganju, in the fray for the first phase of Assam Lok Sabha polls on April 19 have criminal cases pending against them though none have been convicted, according to affidavits submitted by them at the time of filing of nomination papers.

Besides Gogoi and Ganju, Sonitpur's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) contestant Rishiraj Kaundinya and Kaziranga's Bharatiya Gana Parishad candidate Sailen Chandra Malakar also have criminal cases, related to corruption and cheating respectively, pending against them.

There are 35 candidates in the fray for the April 19 first phase polls to five Lok Sabha constituencies of Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Kaziranga and Sonitpur.

Gogoi, the Congress deputy leader in the outgoing Lok Sabha and party candidate from Jorhat seat has a case filed against him at the Basistha police station in Kamrup (Metro) district under various sections of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984 during the party's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Guwahati on January 23, 2024.

Gogoi has been accused of disobedience to a legal order of public servant, violation of permission and obstruction to government servants while discharging their legal duties and assault on government servants during the yatra.

He is yet to receive any summons from any court or any charges have been framed against him., his affidavit stated.

Ganju, the Congress candidate from Sonitpur, has a case registered against him in the Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court in Biswanath under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 for dishonouring a cheque in 2017.

He has been accused of issuing a cheque of Rs 9,50,000 to a firm and the said cheque was dishonoured on account of 'payment stop'.

Charges were framed against Ganju in 2018, but he has not been convicted, his affidavit said.

Sonitpur's AAP candidate, Kaundinya has seven cases pending against him on allegations of irregularities and corrupt practices in supply orders in different government offices.

Five cases have been filed against him in Dispur police station and one in Chandmari police station in Kamrup (Metro) districts while one has been lodged in Tezpur police station in Sonitpur district.

Kaundinya has been accused of irregularities and corruption in three cases related to the Dima Hasao Autonomous Council, two in Mishing Autonomous Council and one each in AMRI Karbi Development Council and Tezpur Revenue Circle office.

No charges have been filed against him in any of the cases.

Bharatiya Gana Parishad candidate Sailen Chandra Malakar, contesting from the Kaziranga Lok Sabha seat, has a case pending against him in Hojai police station for alleged criminal trespass.

Charges have been framed against Malakar but he has not been convicted.