Businessman, YouTuber booked on BJP MLA's complaint in UP's Bhadohi

Bhadohi (UP), Nov 16 (PTI) The police here have booked a local businessman and a YouTuber for alleged criminal conspiracy following a complaint by BJP MLA Dinanath Bhaskar, officials said on Thursday.

The duo were also booked under the SC/ST Act as the MLA accused them of allegedly targetting him for belonging to the Dalit community, they added.

Bhaskar, in his police complaint on Wednesday, alleged that businessman Vineet Jaiswal has falsely accused him of taking Rs 23 lakh for giving a ticket to his wife in the urban local body elections held earlier this year.

Claiming the allegations to be false, the MLA accused Vipul Pandey, who runs a YouTube channel, of publishing one-sided news reports on the issue.

The said allegation by Jaiswal was first made in a letter he shared with local journalists in May, shortly after the urban local body polls. The news reports based on the letter were also published around the same time.

The Aurai MLA has, however, not made it clear why he filed a formal complaint with the police almost six months after the incident.

'Bhaskar, in his complaint submitted to us on Wednesday alleged that this was done as part of a conspiracy to harm him politically as he belongs to the Dalit community,' said Bhadohi Superintendent of Police Meenakshi Katyayan.

Based on the MLA's complaint, the police lodged an FIR at the Aurai police station here on Wednesday night under 120 B (criminal conspiracy)and other sections of the Indian Penal Code, IT Act and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Katyayan said.

'The matter is being investigated. The accused named in the FIR will soon be summoned for questioning regarding the matter,' the SP added. PTI COR CDN AS RPA RPA