The conviction of Union Minister of State for Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi by a Rampur court for allegedly violating the election code in the run-up to the 2009 Lok Sabha polls was quashed by the district court here on Saturday.
In January, the trial court awarded Mr. Naqvi one-year jail term. But, it immediately granted him bail.
He went into appeal in the district court, which stayed the conviction till the disposal of the case.
District Judge Pradeep Kumar said in his order that the prosecution had “failed” to prove the charges.
Mr. Naqvi was booked by the Rampur police under Sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code; Section 7 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act; and Section 144 of the Cr.PC. The trial court found him guilty of the charges under the IPC.
“The criminal appeal filed by Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi is allowed and the judgment and order of January 14 passed by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Rampur, is set aside,” District Judge Pradeep Kumar said.
Mr. Naqvi, who was present in the court, said: “The verdict is the victory of the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under the Constitution.”
Convoy stopped
The Rampur police argued that Mr. Naqvi’s convoy was stopped for a security check, and this was opposed by BJP workers. Subsequently, party workers staged a sit-in outside the police station and even tried to barge in.
Mr. Naqvi addressed the protesters. The police booked Mr. Naqvi, along with 19 others, for unlawful assembly.
