UP court sends BJP’s Naqvi to one year in jail for poll code violation, granted bail

Naqvi was present in court along with the other accused when the judgment was passed. Since the sentence was below three years, all the accused moved bail applications and the court granted it. The court directed them to submit sureties of Rs 15,000 each.

Government counsel Rajendra Prajapati said that Additional Civil Judge (senior division) Manish Kumar sentenced the accused under sections 143 (unlawful assembly ), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 7 of Criminal Law Amendment Act. He said the court also imposed a fine on them. However, the court acquitted the accused under Section 188 of IPC (disobedience of order duly promulgated by public servant).

Defence counsel Shyam Lal said that they would file an appeal against the judgment in a higher court.

According to the prosecution, the case dates back to 2009 when the Rampur police seized a vehicle during campaigning, stating that it was not authorised by the district administration to be used in canvassing during elections. Hearing about the seizure, Naqvi and others reached the Patawi police station and staged the protest.