UP court refuses to stay Azam Khan’s conviction
LUCKNOW: A sessions court in Rampur on Thursday refused to stay the conviction of senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan in a 2019 hate speech case that led to his disqualification from the Uttar Pradesh assembly last month.
The order paves the way for the Election Commission (EC) to hold a bypoll for the Rampur Sadar assembly constituency which has been represented by Khan 10 times.
The court was hearing the SP leader’s appeal on the direction of the Supreme Court, issued on Wednesday, when it turned down the same.
The top court had also asked the EC not to issue a bypoll notification till November 10. It said the bypoll notification can be issued on or after November 11, after the sessions court decides on Khan’s appeal.
“The court pronounced its verdict and turned down Azam Khan’s appeal at around 5pm,” said special prosecution officer Rakesh Kumar Maurya.
The SP leader was convicted on October 27 by the additional chief judicial magistrate, special MP/MLA court, Rampur, in the hate speech case and was sentenced to three years in prison.
A day later, the Uttar Pradesh assembly secretariat issued a notice, terminating Khan’s membership of the state assembly and declared the Rampur seat vacant.
On November 5, the EC announced the schedule for the Rampur Sadar assembly bypoll, and fixed December 5 as the date of voting. Khan, however, moved the Supreme Court, contending that his appeal against his conviction was pending before the sessions court in Rampur. In 2019, Khan won the Lok Sabha election from Rampur but vacated the seat after being elected to the state assembly in March 2022. SP leaders to refused to comment on the court’s order.