Congress candidate held for booth capturing during 2010

Sher Khan Pathan, who is the Congress' contestant from Bharuch Lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat, is facing charges of booth capturing, arson during local bodies polls and attempt to murder, as per the affidavit filed by him with election authorities. In the affidavit submitted last Thursday, 37-year-old Pathan mentioned that three FIRs were registered against him between 2010 and 2018.

As per the document, Pathan was accused of booth capturing during the taluka and district panchayat elections held in 2010. The brief description of the crime mentioned in the affidavit states that Pathan was also accused of stone pelting and setting vehicles on fire during that election.

An FIR about the said crime was registered against him at Valia police station in Bharuch. Among other offences, Pathan was booked in an attempt to murder case which is pending before a local court since the high court had stayed the proceedings, as per the affidavit.

Pathan was booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting with armed weapon), 435 (arson), 307 (attempt to murder), 186 (obstructing public servant) and under various sections of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, it stated. Another FIR was filed against Pathan at Netrang police station in 2015.

As per the description of the crime, Pathan had threatened a person over the phone and was booked under section 171(c) of the IPC which deals with punishment for threatening a voter or a poll candidate. In 2018, Netrang police booked him under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting) and 365 (kidnapping) of the IPC. Pathan was never convicted for any of the crimes, as the high court had stayed proceedings in all the three cases.

(With inputs from agencies.)