Patna HC Stays Criminal Proceedings Against Wasnik

In a relief to Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Mukul Wasnik, Patna High Court today stayed criminal proceedings initiated against him in a court in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district.

Justice Anjana Prakash stayed the criminal proceedings against Wasnik while hearing a quashing petition filed by the latter's counsel Ashutosh Ranjan Pandey.

In the petition, Pandey pleaded that his client has been falsely implicated in a case filed by advocate Sudhir Kumar Ojha.

The judge directed Ojha to file a reply to clear his stand on the points raised by Wasnik's counsel.

Ojha had filed a criminal case in a court in Muzaffarpur district against Wasnik, who was AICC in-charge of Bihar two years ago, that he had taken a bribe of Rs 15 lakh from him to give him the ticket to contest the assembly polls from Kanti seat in 2010.

Last year, the Muzaffarpur court had issued arrest warrant against Wasnik in the case.