Shahi Imam Ahmad Bukhari Surrenders in 2007 Election Code Violation Case, Gets Bail

Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid, Maulana Ahmad Bukhari, surrendered before a court on Friday in connection with a 19-year-old case involving an alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct during an election campaign.

Chief Judicial Magistrate Kavita Aggarwal granted Bukhari bail after he furnished two sureties of ₹20,000 each. He had been facing bailable warrants after repeatedly failing to appear before the court in the case.

According to Prosecution Officer K C Maurya, the case was registered against Bukhari and others at Khatauli police station on April 10, 2007. The charges were filed under Sections 171 and 188 of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code (IPC), relating to fraudulent impersonation of a public servant and disobedience of an order issued by a public servant.

The prosecution alleged that Bukhari had travelled to Khatauli by helicopter and addressed a public meeting without obtaining the required permission, in violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

Following the alleged violation, police registered the case and filed the charges. However, Bukhari reportedly failed to appear before the court despite repeated summonses and subsequently issued bailable warrants.

The court's decision to grant bail came after the Shahi Imam surrendered before it on Friday, bringing a fresh legal development in the long-pending case.