New Delhi: In a setback to BJP leader Varun Gandhi, the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday dismissed his petition seeking quashing of an FIR filed against him for his alleged communal speeches in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh.
In its order, a division bench comprising justices Imtiyaz Murtaza and S C Nigam said, "the petition stands dismissed".
The detailed text of the judgement was not immediately available.
In his petition, 29-year-old Varun had challenged the FIR filed on March 17 at Barkheda Police Station under Sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act.
He has also alleged that the video footage of a public meeting, on the basis of which the Election Commission (EC) had taken the action, "had been tampered with" and did not contain his voice.
The grandson of former prime minister Indira Gandhi had claimed in his petition that the FIR, which was lodged nine days after he made the speeches, was "a part of a political conspiracy" to ruin his political career and tarnish his "secular image".
Earlier, the controversial BJP candidate had got a reprieve from the Delhi High Court which had granted anticipatory bail to Varun in the same case.
Justice Reva Khetrapal had granted anticipatory bail to Varun till March 27 after his lawyers pleaded before the court that the provision for anticipatory bail wasn't available in Uttar Pradesh.
The candidate from Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections was asked to furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000.
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