An MP-MLA court here on Friday sentenced Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA from Arya Nagar assembly seat of Kanpur Nagar Amitabh Bajpai to one year imprisonment in an 11-year-old case lodged against him in Bithoor.
The court also imposed a fine of ₹8,600 on the legislator. The MLA furnished a bail bond and was released on bail later. Since the quantum of punishment is less than two years, Bajpai, who is a two-term MLA, will not face disqualification.
The arguments were completed on November 2 and the court had fixed November 11 to deliver its verdict. Earlier in the day, the MLA appeared before the court which allowed only the counsel to be present in the courtroom apart from Bajpai.
Assistant commissioner, commercial tax, now state GST, Dinesh Pal had lodged the FIR for obstructing a government official, violence, intimidation and under the SC/ST Act on October 2, 2011.
Pal had said he was checking vehicles with his team on GT Road and Bajpai along with 40-50 people reached there and surrounded the team. The case was going on in the court of special judge, MP-MLA court.
Bajpai said he had been convicted for fighting for traders. “I will keep fighting for the traders’ community no matter how much I am punished,” he said, adding that the sentence was of one year and that he would appeal in the higher court. His lawyer Naresh Chandra Tripathi said he would be challenging the decision shortly.
{{/usCountry}}Bajpai said he had been convicted for fighting for traders. “I will keep fighting for the traders’ community no matter how much I am punished,” he said, adding that the sentence was of one year and that he would appeal in the higher court. His lawyer Naresh Chandra Tripathi said he would be challenging the decision shortly.
{{/usCountry}}Bajpai is second SP legislator after Mohd Azam Khan to have been convicted. Khan had lost his membership of legislative assembly due to three-year sentence in a hate speech case.