AAP MLA Naresh Yadav Sentenced To Two Years In Jail In 2016 Quran Sacrilege Case

The verdict, delivered by Judge Parminder Singh Grewal, followed a lengthy legal process. Yadav’s conviction in the case has sparked significant political and public attention.

Chandigarh:A court in Malerkotla, Punjab, sentenced Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Naresh Yadav from Delhi's Mehrauli constituency to two years in jail and imposed a fine of Rs 11,000 on Saturday, in connection with the 2016 Quran sacrilege case. The verdict was announced by Additional District and Sessions Judge Parminder Singh Grewal after a lengthy legal process. Yadav was convicted a day earlier in this controversial case, which has attracted significant political and public attention over the years. Malerkotla, the town where the incident occurred, is predominantly Muslim.

In March 2021, Yadav and co-accused Nand Kishore were acquitted by a lower court due to lack of evidence. The case initially stemmed from the discovery of torn pages of the Quran in Malerkotla on June 24, 2016. The police had registered a case against Vijay Kumar and two others, including Nand Kishore and Gaurav Kumar. Yadav’s name was later added based on circumstantial evidence.

After Yadav’s acquittal in 2021, local resident Mohammad Ashraf filed a criminal appeal, which led to the review of the case and ultimately resulted in Yadav’s conviction. The case has been marked by controversy, including allegations made by Yadav in 2018, regarding a suspicious Rs 90 lakh transaction in Vijay Kumar’s bank account, allegedly linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

The charges against the accused included Sections 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 153-A (promoting enmity between religious groups), 124-A (sedition), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), and others. However, the court had dropped the sedition charges. Vijay Kumar, the primary accused, had previously incited violence and was a former RSS volunteer. (With agency inputs)