THE SUPREME Court on Tuesday refused to stay criminal proceedings initiated against Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai in a trial court in Varanasi under a Gangsters Act case registered in 2010.
A vacation bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Rajesh Bindal issued notice to the UP government on the plea filed by Rai against an order of the Allahabad high court.
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As his counsel pressed for a stay of proceedings, the bench said he could point out to the trial court about the SC notice.
The bench also issued notice on his plea to stay the trial and fixed July 15 to hear it again.
The FIR in the case was registered on March 26, 2010 by a man named Bhanu Pratap Singh at Chetganj police station in Varanasi.
Rai recently lost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a third time from Varanasi in the Lok Sabha elections.
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The high court had dismissed the petition filed by Rai and four others, holding that the trial of the case was at an advanced stage and nine witnesses have already been examined.
“Though no limitation period is prescribed for filing a petition under section 482 CrPC but nevertheless the same has to be filed within a reasonable period. It is apparent that there is long and undue delay in filing of this application and at this stage of trial, it is wholly undesirable to quash the proceedings,” the high court said.
Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai (File Photo) 
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