Allahabad HC rejects SP MLA’s bail plea in 2022 spurious liquor case
Nine people had died after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Azamgarh two years ago. SP MLA Ramakant Yadav’s named was later added to the FIR lodged in this connection
The Allahabad high court on Friday rejected the second bail plea of SP MLA Ramakant Yadav in a spurious liquor case in which nine people had died in Azamgarh district in 2022.
The court said the petitioner has a long criminal history and has also been convicted in a case by the trial court. Justice Samit Gopal dismissed the bail application. His first bail application was rejected last year.
Ramakant Yadav represents Azamgarh’s Phoolpur Pawai constituency in the UP Assembly. Yadav’s counsel argued that the Supreme Court had directed him to file a second bail plea in case no substantial progress is made in the trial pending before district court within six months of its order.
Since more than six months had passed but there was no hope of conclusion of trial, hence the present bail application was filed, the counsel submitted.
The state government’s counsel opposed the bail plea on the ground that Yadav had a criminal history of 57 cases and was involved in serious offences, including nine murder cases.
Justice Samit Gopal, while rejecting Yadav’s bail plea, observed, “There is nothing on record to show that trial is being intentionally delayed or being lingered for any obvious reason. It cannot be said that the trial is not substantially progressing.”
“The applicant has a long criminal history and has even been convicted in one case by the trial court against which an appeal has been dismissed and a revision against the same is pending before the High Court.”
An FIR was registered at Ahraula police station in Azamgarh on February 22, 2022 based on the complaint by families of people who died after consuming spurious liquor. Though Yadav’s name was not mentioned in the FIR initially, it was added later on.
