12/15/23, 11:33 AM SC conditionally suspends conviction of former BSP MP

SC conditionally suspends conviction of former BSP MP

Afzal Ansari

THE HINDU BUREAU,

NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court on Thursday conditionally suspended the conviction of former

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Afzal Ansari in a 2007 Gangsters Act case.

A Bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan, in a majority
verdict, said Ansari, a former MP from the Ghazipur constituency of Uttar Pradesh,
would not cast his vote in the Lok Sabha nor draw any perk but could attend the
proceedings of the House.

“It is appropriate for courts to balance the interests of protecting the integrity of the
electoral process in one hand, while also ensuring that constituents are not bereft of
their right to be represented,” the majority opinion said.

The majority verdict further directed the Allahabad High Court to dispose of Ansari’s
criminal appeal against his conviction and sentence by June 30, 2024.

“It is exigent that the appellant’s [Ansari’s] future is not left hanging in balance due to
the conviction… it is incumbent upon the court in which the appeal is pending to hear
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12/15/23, 11:33 AM SC conditionally suspends conviction of former BSP MP

the matter out of turn and expeditiously adjudicate it,” the majority opinion said.

Justice Datta dismissed the appeal of Ansari outright.

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