Battle for UP: Babita Phogat booked for Covid, poll code violation

Wrestler Babita Phogat and BJP candidate from Baghpat, Krishanpal Malik, have been booked along with around 60 others for flouting the poll code in Baghpat.

They were booked on Monday under IPC sections 269, 270 and 188 and the Epidemic Diseases Act after a video, in which they could be seen holding a public rally in Baghpat, went viral.

According to police, Phogat had gone to the Bali village of Badaut to campaign for Krishanpal Malik, who is also the sitting MLA from the area.

She addressed a public gathering at the village in which no one was wearing masks. No permission was taken from the district administration to conduct the public meeting either, it was alleged.

The administration took suo motu cognisance of the alleged poll code violation after Phogat uploaded photographs pertaining to the campaign on her Twitter account.

Baghpat police station inspector Harish Chandra, said, "We have booked Krishanpal Malik, Babita Phogat and 50-60 unidentified persons under various sections of the IPC and the Epidemic Diseases Act, for not following Covid protocol and guidelines laid down by the Election Commission for poll campaigning.