Court drops charges against Uma

<div class="section0"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-size:="">BANGALORE: A court in Karnataka on Monday dropped charges of rioting and attempt to murder against former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharati, setting the stage for her release from prison.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="">Judicial Magistrate Mohammed Ismail announced in the town of Hubli that he was allowing the public prosecutor to withdraw two of the remaining 10 cases slapped against Uma Bharati in July 2002.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="">A police officer told IANS that Uma Bharati, who was sent to jail on August 25 after she refused to take bail, would be set free Monday.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="">"She has been cleared of all charges," the officer said.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="">A total of 10 criminal cases were slapped against the fiery Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader after she forcibly hoisted the Indian flag at the Idgah ground in Hubli in 1994, triggering rioting and police firing that claimed six lives.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="">While eight of the cases had been withdrawn earlier, she was served with a non-bailable warrant last month in connection with the remaining two cases, leading to her resignation from the post of Madhya Pradesh chief minister.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="">Uma Bharati then travelled to Hubli and surrendered in the court of Mohammed Ismail, leading to her jailing and fresh tensions between the BJP and the Congress party that found its echo in the Parliament.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="">Magistrate Ismail also dismissed public interest litigations filed in his court objecting to the withdrawal of criminal cases against Uma Bharati.</span></div> </div>