Lucknow: Jailed Samajwadi Party MLA and veteran SP leader Azam Khan's son, Abdullah Azam Khan is likely to lose his assembly seat after a special court on Monday sentenced the father-son duo to two years in jail for allegedly blocking traffic during police checking 15 years ago.
The MP MLA court convicted Azam Khan and Abdullah under convicted the two under IPC sections 341 (wrongful restraint) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), and under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act. The court also fined Azam Khan and Abdullah Rs 3000 each.
However, the two were later released on bail on depositing the surety. It is learnt that seven other accused in the case were acquitted due to lack of evidence. Those acquitted in the case include SP MLA from Amroha, Mehboob Ali, and former MLAs Haqi Ikram Qureshi and Naim-ul-Hasan.
Also read: UP bypoll: FIR against MLA Abdullah Azam Khan for threatening man on polling day
The court examined a total of eight prosecution and 17 defence witnesses in the case. The case dates back to January 2, 2008 when the father-son duo was booked after they allegedly blocked traffic during a security check by the police in Moradabad district. On the preceding day, there had been a terror attack on a CRPF camp in neighbouring Rampur district.
Seven CRPF personnel and a rickshaw puller were killed in that attack. It will be the second time Azam Khan has been convicted. Pertinently, in October last year, Azam Khan was convicted to three years’ imprisonment in a hate speech case registered against him during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. After the fresh conviction in the 2008 case, his son Abdullah is set to lose membership of the Suar Assembly seat, which he represents.
Soon after Azam Khan's conviction in October, the Rampur assembly seat which he represented too was declared vacant. According to the orders of the Supreme Court, the membership of the Legislative Assembly or Lok Sabha is canceled if any public representative is sentenced for more than 2 years in any case.
