Afzal Ansari Gets Relief From Allahabad High Court In Krishnanand Rai Murder Case, To Continue As Samajwadi Party MP

Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Afzal Ansari got relief from the Allahabad High Court on Monday (29 July) as the Ghazipur court's order sentencing four years’ imprisonment was set aside.

This means that Ansari can continue as an MP as disqualification happens if the sentence is over two years. Ansari is an accused in the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai in 2005.

Justice Sanjay Kumar Singh had reserved the order on 4 July and pronounced the verdict today. The petition of slain MLA Rai's son Piyush seeking an increased term of imprisonment was dismissed.

The plea against Ansari's conviction has been admitted and will be heard later. Ansari's counsels argued that in the gang chart prepared by the prosecution, only three have cases under the Gangsters Act against them.

It was also argued that the case against Ansari is politically motivated and that the Ghazipur MP has been acquitted in the Gangsters Act case. The Uttar Pradesh government's plea was dismissed.

Earlier, the High Court had refused to stay the Ghazipur court order. After Ansari moved the Supreme Court, the High Court cleared the matter on Supreme Court's direction.