Court stays Naqvi's conviction

A District court of Rampur on Wednesday stayed the conviction of Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi who was sentenced to one year imprisonment.

A lower court in Rampur on January 14 convicted him for violating prohibitory orders in the run up to the 2009 Lak Sabha polls. He was given interim bail by the lower court.

Arguing there was no evidence against him, Mr. Naqvi earlier petitioned the District court to set aside his conviction by the lower court. District judge P.K. Goyal stayed his conviction and granted him bail till the disposal of his case. The court also stayed the fine imposed on him by the lower court.

Mr. Naqvi's counsel Shyam Lal argued before the court that the police case against Mr. Naqvi was “politically motivated” as there was no violence by the BJP workers who sat on a peaceful demonstration outside a local police station in Rampur in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls.