Renowned film actress and former Member of Parliament from Rampur, Jaya Prada, has been declared an absconder by the court. This comes in the wake of two cases filed against her during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections for alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct in Rampur, which are currently being heard in the MP-MLA special court (Magistrate trial) of Rampur.
Reports indicate that Jaya Prada failed to appear in court on numerous scheduled dates, despite repeated summons. Following this, non-bailable warrants were also issued against her, but she still did not present herself in court. The court has issued seven non-bailable warrants against Jaya Prada to date. Consequently, the Rampur Superintendent of Police was repeatedly instructed to ensure her presence in court, but to no avail.
In a stern move on Tuesday, the court declared the former MP and actress an absconder and ordered the Superintendent of Police to form a team led by a Deputy SP to present her in court by March 6, 2024.
It has been noted that Jaya Prada’s phone has been switched off, adding to the difficulties in locating her. Senior Prosecution Officer Amarnath Tiwari explained that despite multiple summons, Jaya Prada has not appeared in court for the ongoing case related to the violation of the Election Code of Conduct in the Judicial Magistrate MP-MLA court in Rampur. Non-bailable warrants were issued, but she failed to appear. The police station’s report, submitted by the in-charge inspector Ranjee Dwivedi, stated that the accused Jaya Prada is evading arrest, with her mobile phones switched off.
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The officer elaborated that the honorable court, acting under section 82 of the CrPC, has scheduled the next hearing for March 6, 2024, and has directed the Rampur SP to ensure Jaya Prada’s presence in court by forming a dedicated team under a Circle Officer.
When asked about the procedure under section 82 of the CrPC, the Senior Prosecution Officer clarified that this action is taken when an accused or respondent does not appear before the court, leading to a proclamation procedure to ensure their attendance. This action under section 82 of the CrPC essentially means that Jaya Prada has been officially declared an absconder.
