Why Were Two Congress MLAs Sentenced to a Year in Jail?

Jaipur, June 18 (NationPress) The District Court of Jaipur has handed down a sentence of one year in prison to two Congress MLAs among a total of nine individuals involved in a case that dates back 11 years.

These officials were found guilty of unlawful assembly and obstructing a public roadway during a protest that occurred on August 13, 2014. They had staged a demonstration and blocked JLN Marg outside the main entrance of Rajasthan University for about 20 minutes.

Despite the convictions, all defendants were granted immediate bail following the sentencing.

As per the prosecution officer Kavita Pingolia, the court's verdict included two MLAs—Mukesh Bhakar from the Ladnun Assembly and Manish Yadav from Shahpura—as well as Abhishek Chaudhary, a former Congress contestant from Jhotwara.

The remaining convicts in this case include Rajesh Meena, Ravi Kirad, Wasim Khan, Dron Yadav, Bhanupratap Singh, and Vidyadhar Meel.

The police initially filed the charge sheet on August 11, 2016, and after years of legal proceedings, all nine were found guilty and sentenced.

After the sentencing, the court allowed bail to all accused individuals, who now have a month to appeal the decision in the High Court and request a suspension of their sentences.

Interestingly, despite their convictions, the legislative status of both Congress MLAs remains intact. According to current law, the membership of MPs and MLAs only ends if their sentence exceeds two years.

For example, BJP MLA Kanwarlal Meena, sentenced to three years for threatening an SDM with a firearm, lost his Assembly membership this past May. The Assembly issued a notice after the Supreme Court denied his plea for a stay on his sentence. Following the apex court's directive, Kanwarlal surrendered at the Aklera court on May 21 and has since been incarcerated.

The Assembly Secretariat had reached out to BJP MLA Kanwarlal Meena, requesting clarification by May 7 regarding any relief obtained from the Supreme Court concerning a suspension of his sentence. As the Supreme Court did not grant a stay, the Assembly Speaker had no option but to revoke his membership, reducing the total number of MLAs in the Rajasthan Assembly to 199, leaving the Anta seat vacant.

Meanwhile, the Congress PCC president criticized the BJP over this issue, stating, "Even after 23 days since the court's ruling, the Assembly Speaker has not revoked the membership of the convicted MLA Kanwarlal Meena. In an effort to protect the accused, the Speaker has demonstrated a biased attitude, disregarding constitutional provisions and the court's decision. Ultimately, however, justice has prevailed."