Indira Gandhi
– Photo: Amar Ujala
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The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was in trouble due to the election campaign of bureaucrat Yashpal Kapoor. While holding a government post, he had sought votes in support of the former Prime Minister. Allahabad High Court Justice Jagmohan Lal Sinha had also held Indira Gandhi guilty of corrupt practices for this. He had said in the judgment that while being an officer on special duty, Kapoor had addressed an election rally in his support. He had resigned from government service which was accepted on January 25. He was in government service until the President accepted his resignation, but Kapoor campaigned before that on 7 January 1971.
According to the news published in the June 13, 1975 issue of Amar Ujala, Allahabad High Court Justice Jagmohan Lal Sinha, in his 258-page decision, did not consider the statements given in the court by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s Special Officer on Special Duty and Prime Minister’s Secretary PN Haksar as credible. Justice Sinha said that Yashpal Kapoor was sent to Rae Bareli on January 7, 1971. There he addressed a meeting in Munshiganj in support of Indira Gandhi.
The judge said in the judgment that Yashpal Kapoor’s resignation was accepted by the President on January 25, hence he should be considered in government service till that day. The court also rejected the argument of Indira Gandhi’s lawyer that Kapoor was not Indira’s election agent and he was not asked to campaign in support of Indira. The High Court also did not accept Indira Gandhi’s statement that she had not discussed her election intentions in her press conference in 1970. The court considered Indira Gandhi’s taking help from a gazetted officer in elections as corrupt conduct. It was also said that even before his resignation on January 13, Kapoor had gone to Rae Bareli in view of Indira Gandhi’s election campaign.
Kapoor had sought votes in support of Indira Gandhi at the inauguration of the telephone exchange of the sub post office in Nihasta (Rae Bareli) on 19 January. He also campaigned in support of Indira in Beta Kalan. Justice Sinha said that Indira Gandhi was the first candidate in her constituency, followed by the Prime Minister.
Indira Gandhi could not have taken government service for stage construction and loudspeakers at election meetings, but she did so. Justice Sinha also reprimanded senior state government officials that their cooperation in Indira’s election sent a message to the voters that the government was helping them.
Janata Party government had arrested Yashpal Kapoor
After the formation of the Janata Party government after the general elections of 1977, Yashpal Kapoor was arrested on charges of corruption and misuse of office during the Emergency. According to the news published in the August 17, 1977 issue of Amar Ujala, after his arrest he was sent on police remand. Along with four businessmen, a relative of Kapoor, Sarin, was also arrested. CBI had conducted raids on those people who had played a major role in the Emergency.