Allahabad, May 15 : The Allahabad High Court on Friday stayed the arrest of Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav in connection with an FIR lodged against him pertaining to alleged misbehaviour with an Election Commission (EC) official in Etawah on May 11.

Mulayam Singh, in a petition, had challenged the registration of the FIR against him for disrupting the poll process at two booths in the Parsana area of Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency.

The incident came after villagers of Mainpuri complained that the Election Commission observer was not allowing them to vote. The observer had detected three voters with fake ration cards.

Mulayam was furious and took up the issue with the observer. The observer told him that the villagers were coming to the polling booth with fake ration cards. Yadav argued that the rations cards were duly signed by the District Supply Officer of Etawah and were genuine.

Etawah is the home district of Mulayam and Mainpuri is the Lok Sabha constituency from where he is contesting. (ANI)