2001 road blockade case: The Allahabad High Court on Thursday stayed the execution of the sentence awarded by the MP-MLA court of Sultanpur to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh in a 2001 street-protest case.
On January 11 of the previous year, the special court sentenced Singh to three months of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1,500. This was due to his actions in creating obstructions on a public road and inciting violence during a protest in Sultanpur district, Uttar Pradesh, in 2001. Singh and five others were convicted by the MP-MLA court on January 11, 2023 and their appeal was dismissed by the sessions court on August 6 this year.
On Thursday, the bench of Justice K S Pawar passed the order on a revision petition filed by Singh, challenging the special court's January 11, 2023 order, which was also confirmed in appeal by the sessions court on August 6. "Till further orders of this court, execution of the sentence awarded by the judgment and orders under revision shall remain stayed," the bench said while admitting the petition for final hearing.
On August 13, a non-bailable warrant was issued against Singh, SP leader Anoop Sanda, and four others, with the hearing scheduled for Tuesday. The accused however did not appear before the court.
Sanjay Singh on HC order
Singh hailed the Allahabad High Court order that stayed the execution of the sentence awarded to him by a Sultanpur court in a 2001 protest case as the "triumph of truth". The Rajya Sabha MP also expressed gratitude towards senior counsel and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Satish Chandra Mishra, who represented him in the high court.
"The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has stayed the three-month sentence awarded in a 23-year-old case. Truth triumphed with the decision of the honourable high court. Heartfelt gratitude to senior advocate, respected Shri Satish Mishra ji. Satyamev Jayate," Singh said in a post in Hindi on X.
What is the case?
On June 19, 2001, a demonstration was held near an overbridge close to the city's Sabzi Mandi area under the leadership of former SP MLA Anoop Sanda against the poor power supply. Sanjay Singh, along with former councillors Kamal Srivastava, Vijay Kumar, Santosh and Subhash Chaudhary had taken part in it.
A case was registered against all of them at the Kotwali Nagar Police Station. All six were convicted by Special Magistrate Yogesh Yadav on January 11, 2023, and awarded three months imprisonment.
On August 9, the six were ordered to appear before the MP/MLA court. When they failed to do so, Special Magistrate Shubham Verma issued non-bailable warrants against all of them.
(With PTI inputs)
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