The duo of Independent MLA & former bureaucrat gets anticipatory bail 

Two days after the registration of an FIR against independent MLA Ashish Sharma and former bureaucrat Rakesh Sharma in an alleged matter of election offense and gratification of six Congress MLAs in Rajya sabha cross-voting, Himachal Pradesh High today granted anticipatory bail to both above accused.

 After the preliminary hearing of the anticipatory bail application filed by Rakesh Sharma and Ashish Sharma, a single bench of Justice Ranjan Sharma granted interim anticipatory bail to the father of Gagret MLA Chaitanya Sharma and independent MLA from Hamirpur Ashish Sharma.

An order passed by the High Court ordered both applicants to register their presence before the Boileauganj police station on March 15 and cooperate in the investigation.

Earlier Today both the applicants moved before the HC seeking bail in an election offense registered against them under sections 420, 171 A & C, 120 b of the Indian penal code and sections 7 & 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act on the complaint of two Congress MLA Sanjay Awasthi and Bhuvnaser Gaur.

The complainants have also demanded an investigation into the bank accounts of Hamirpur independent MLA Ashish Sharma and the father of disqualified MLA Chetan Sharma. Now the court is likely to hear the applicant for confirmation of bail application on March 16.

In the FIR, the father of Congress rebel and Gagret MLA Chaitanya Sharma Rakesh Sharma who is Former bureaucrat and remained chief secretary of Uttrakhand and independent MLA from Hamirpur Ashish Sharma was booked in police station West Shimla on March 10.

The Father of rebel Congress MLA and the independent MLA have been accused of influencing the Rajya Sabha elections unfairly. The complainants have accused both of them of buying and selling votes, bribery, and money transactions. 

 The complaint states that the accused conspired to topple the government.