Varanasi: A MP/MLA court in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi on Monday heard a plea by Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala in connection with a 23-year-old damage to public property. Special Judge MP MLA Court Avnish Gautam while hearing the plea, deferred the case for Aug. 10 for the next hearing. After the commencement of the hearing, on behalf of Congress leader Ranjit Singh Surjewala, his lawyers submitted a plea before the court seeking for making the documents related to case public for their client.
Following the plea, ADGC Vinay Singh filed an objection in this matter. After hearing both the sides, the court fixed the date of Aug. 10 for the next hearing, reserving the order in the matter. The case dates back to Aug. 2000 when several Congress leaders including Surjewala were booked for allegedly damaging public property during a protest by the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee.
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On August 21, 2000, a sit-in demonstration was held in Varanasi on behalf of the then Youth Congress President Randeep Singh Surjewala and other Congress leaders. In the protest, a large number of Congress workers had allegedly ransacked the Divisional Court while raising slogans. Police had arrested many Congress leaders including Randeep Singh Surjewala.
A case was also registered in Cantt police station against the accused Congress leaders. It can be recalled that in June this year, the Allahabad High Court gave interim relief to Randeep Singh Surjewala in the 23-year-old damage to public property case. The court had directed the trial court in Varanasi to provide copies of the documents including the charge sheet by the police of the case under section 207 CrPC within seven days.
