New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday (February 11) directed a court in Moradabad to decide an appeal of Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan, son of Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan within six months.
A bench comprising Justice MM Sundresh and Justice Rajesh Bindal directed this to the Moradabad court while hearing an appeal filed by Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan.
What did Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan submit?
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who appeared for Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan, submitted before the court that a report on his client’s claim of juvenility had come in his favour from the trial court. He further said that with the report on his juvenility claim being available, the sessions court could be directed to take it into consideration while deciding the appeal. He further said that he was seeking the suspension of his conviction till the pendency of his appeal.
What did the apex court say?
The bench asked the district and sessions court at Moradabad to treat Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan as a juvenile on the date of the offence. It further said that the sessions court at Moradabad was already hearing the appeal against conviction and the maximum it could do is ask the sessions court for an expeditious disposal of the appeal against his conviction and directed the sessions court to decide his appeal preferably within six months.
Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan had moved the top court against an April 13, 2023 order of the Allahabad High Court, which refused to stay his conviction in the case, which led to his disqualification as an MLA.
Moradabad court in 2023 sentenced Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan, his father to two years’ in jail
A Moradabad court had in February 2023 sentenced Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan and his father to two years’ in jail in the case, which was registered against him and his father for blocking traffic after their vehicle was stopped by police for checking.
The High Court, while refusing to stay Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan’s conviction, said that he was trying to seek a stay on his conviction in the case on “absolutely non-existent grounds”.
“Disqualification is not limited only to MPs and MLAs. Moreover, as many as 46 criminal cases are pending against the applicant. It is now the need of the hour to have purity in politics. Representatives of people should be men of clear antecedents,” the High Court said.
