MEERUT The Special MP/MLA Court in Bulandshahar on Thursday awarded 14-month and 8-month imprisonment to former MLA Bhagwan Sharma aka Guddu Pandit in a 12- year-old case of extortion and criminal intimidation.
Special government prosecutor Hitendra Kumar Verma said that both punishments would be served together, therefore the maximum punishment amounted to 14 months.
He said, “The court granted bail to the former MLA and he can approach the session court to file his appeal to challenge the order”.
Guddu Pandit contested his first election as BSP cnbdidate in 2007 and was elected MLA from Dibai constituency of Bulandshahar. He then contested as SP candidate in 2012 election and won.
Rakesh Sharma, a resident of Halpura under Kotwali Shikarpur, lodged a complaint against Pandit in 2011 and accused him of demanding money and threatening him (Sharma) with fake encounter by police because he also wanted to contest the election from Dibai constituency and canvassed against Guddu Pandit.
Initially, the police refused to register a case against the MLA but was compelled to do so on the direction of senior officials from Lucknow.
{{/usCountry}}Initially, the police refused to register a case against the MLA but was compelled to do so on the direction of senior officials from Lucknow.
{{/usCountry}}The case was registered under sections 384(extortion) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. The complainant also handed over a recording of his telephonic conversation with the MLA to the investigating officer and a charge-sheet was filed against the MLA.
After hearing the case for years, judge of the Special MP/MLA Court Vinay Kumar Singh pronounced his decision on Thursday.