Criminal Appeal Filed by Afzal Ansari in Allahabad High Court
Ghazipur MP Afzal Ansari’s criminal appeal against his 4-year sentence in the Krishnanand Rai murder case was heard in Allahabad High Court. All parties presented their arguments, with Afzal appealing to cancel the sentence. Complainant Piyush Rai and the government, on the other hand, appealed for an increase in the sentence. The court, after hearing all sides, reserved its decision. The single bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar Singh presided over the case, which has been ongoing for several days.
Murder of Krishnanand Rai and Implications for Afzal Ansari
Krishnanand Rai, a BJP MLA, was murdered in 2005, leading to the imposition of the Gangster Act on Afzal Ansari. If Afzal is convicted in this case, he stands to lose his Parliament membership due to the sentence exceeding two years. Afzal, who won the Ghazipur seat on a Samajwadi Party ticket in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, is fighting to overturn the sentence imposed on him.
Sentencing and Legal Battles for Afzal Ansari
In April 2023, the MP-MLA court of Ghazipur found Afzal guilty in the Gangster Act case and sentenced him to four years in jail along with a fine of Rs 1 lakh. This verdict led to Afzal’s disqualification as an MP, prompting him to file a criminal appeal in the High Court. Despite being granted bail by the High Court in July 2023, his sentence was not stayed, affecting his parliamentary membership and future electoral prospects. However, the Supreme Court intervened to stay his sentence, restoring his membership and eligibility to contest future elections, while urging the High Court to expedite the case’s resolution prior to June 30.
