New Delhi: The former Bollywood actress and ex-MP Jayaprada is on the run as the police are trying to arrest her for violating the election code of conduct in 2019. She has been declared a proclaimed offender by the court, which has issued non-bailable warrants against her in two cases. The court has given the police time till January 10 to nab her and produce her before the court.
Why is Jayaprada wanted by the police?
Jayaprada, who contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Rampur seat in Uttar Pradesh on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket, is accused of flouting the election rules and regulations in two incidents. She lost the election to Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan, who is also facing several criminal cases.
The first case against Jayaprada was registered at Swar police station, where she allegedly inaugurated a road in Noorpur village on April 19, 2019, despite the imposition of the model code of conduct. The second case was registered at Kemri police station, where she allegedly made objectionable remarks against Azam Khan in a public meeting organized in Pipliya Mishra village on April 21, 2019.
The Rampur police investigated both cases and filed the charge sheets in court. The cases are being heard by the special court of MP MLA in Prayagraj. However, Jayaprada has been evading the court summons for the past several dates, prompting the court to issue non-bailable warrants against her.
What action has been taken against her?
The court has directed the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Rampur, Rajesh Dwivedi, to form a team and arrest Jayaprada as soon as possible. The court has also fixed January 10 as the deadline for her appearance in the court. If she fails to appear, the court may initiate further action against her, such as attaching her properties or issuing a red corner notice.
The police team, led by SP Dwivedi, has raided several places in Delhi and Mumbai, where Jayaprada is believed to have properties or contacts, but has not been able to trace her. The police suspect that Jayaprada has either gone underground or fled to a foreign country with the help of some insiders. The police are also trying to track her mobile phone and bank transactions to locate her.
Who is Jayaprada?
Jayaprada, whose real name is Lalita Rani, is a 60-year-old actress who has acted in over 200 films in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali and Marathi languages. She made her debut in 1974 with the Telugu film Bhoomi Kosam and rose to fame with films like Sargam, Sharaabi, Tohfa, Sanjog, Aaj Ka Arjun, and Khuda Gawah. She has won several awards and accolades for her acting skills.
She entered politics in 1994 and joined the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founded by her mentor and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N.T. Rama Rao. She was elected to the Lok Sabha from Rampur in 2004 and 2009 on SP ticket. She later joined the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and then the BJP. She has also been involved in various social and charitable causes.
