A court in Prayagraj on Monday sentenced former BSP MP Kapil Muni Karwariya, his brothers Uday Bhan Karwariya and Suraj Bhan Karwariya and their uncle Ram Chandra to life imprisonment for the murder of Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Jawahar Yadav 23 years ago.
A fifth accused died due to natural causes during the trial.
Yadav was sprayed with bullets on August 13, 1996 in the civil lines area of Allahabad while he was travelling in a car. His driver and a passerby also died in the shooting, in which AK-47s were reportedly used by the assailants. Yadav's wife Vijma Yadav is a former SP MLA.
Kapil Muni was the BSP MP from Phulpur seat in Allahabad from 2009-2014, while Suraj Bhan was an MLC in the BSP government. Uday Bhan was a two-time former BJP MLA from the Bara seat in Allahabad, and his wife, Neelam Karwariya, is the BJP MLA from Meja seat in the same district.
The BSP had expelled Suraj Bhan and Kapil Muni in 2016 on charges of 'hindering the growth' of Brahmins in the party ahead of the 2017 Assembly polls.
Additional district and sessions judge Badri Vishal Pandey imposed on them a total fine of ₹7.20 lakh, said Gulab Chand Agrahari, government counsel.
While being escorted by the police, the Karwariya brothers told media outside the court, which was packed with their supporters, that they were innocent and would challenge the sentence in the Allahabad High Court. “We got this punishment for political reasons. We are not criminals. We didn't commit any crime. Our case was not judged on merit but our profiles,” Uday Bhan said.
He told his sloganeering supporters to not get dismayed and assured them that they (Karwariya brothers) would “come out” and continue “to serve the people.”
The State government had moved an application to withdraw the case against the Karwariya brothers but a special court last December rejected it. The Allahabad High Court upheld the decision.
