Allahabad HC suspends conviction of Raj Babbar in 1996 case of assault on poll official

Lucknow: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has suspended the conviction of Congress leader Raj Babbar by a magistrate court in a 1996 case of assault on a polling officer.

Justice Mohammad Faiz Alam Khan passed the order on Friday on an application filed by Babbar, 71, against a sessions court order refusing to stay his conviction in the case.

Raj Babbar's advocate Gaurav Mehrotra submitted that on July 7, 2022, a magistrate court had convicted the leader and sentenced him to two years of imprisonment. Babbar filed an appeal against the order in the sessions court.

While admitting the appeal for hearing, the sessions court granted bail to Raj Babbar but refused to stay the conviction order.

It was argued that the trial court had not properly considered the statements of important witnesses in its judgment. The application was opposed by the state government.

The High Court observed that Babbar has been a five-time MP and since the Election Commission has announced general elections, "it cannot be denied that it is very necessary" for Babbar to file the present application.

Suspending Babbar's conviction, the court also ordered the state government to file a counter-affidavit in this matter. The next hearing of the case has been fixed on May 1, 2024.

The FIR was lodged on May 2, 1996, by polling officer Krishna Singh Rana at Wazirganj police station against Raj Babbar, who was then a Samajwadi Party candidate, Arvind Singh Yadav and unknown people.

It was alleged that Babbar, who made false claims of bogus voting, and his associates beat up the complainant and Shiv Kumar Singh when Rana was coming out of booth number 192 of polling station number 192/103.

After the probe, the police filed a charge sheet against Babbar and Arvind Yadav on September 23, 1996.

Taking cognisance of the charge sheet, the trial court summoned the accused. Later, charges were framed against Babbar on March 7, 2020. On July 7, 2022, Babbar was convicted in this case.