The Supreme Court sealed all escape routes on Monday for newly elected parliamentarian Atul Rai (in pic), who finally faces arrest after being on the run since a rape case was lodged against him on May 1.
The Supreme Court sealed all escape routes on Monday for newly elected parliamentarian Atul Rai (in pic), who finally faces arrest after being on the run since a rape case was lodged against him on May 1.
Rai, a candidate of the Mahagathbandhan combine who contested on a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket, has won from Ghosi Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh.
A Vacation Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Aniruddha Bose dismissed his anticipatory bail plea when it learned that the MP is accused in 16 other criminal cases.
If Rai is arrested, he would be the first people's representative to go to jail even before taking the oath of office.
Rai had first approached the court on May 17, two days before voting in his constituency. The court refused him protection from arrest, rubbishing his claim that the case had been born of political vendetta. Once the results declared him a winner, he approached the court again.
On Monday, when Rai's lawyer urged for anticipatory bail in the rape case, the court asked, "How many cases are pending against you?" Sixteen, the lawyer said, and the court dismissed his plea.
The FIR against Rai, lodged by a Varanasi college student, alleges he took her home and sexually assaulted her.
A local court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Rai. Since there is no provision for anticipatory bail in UP, Rai had approached the top court. He has since been absconding.
Rai won despite staying away from the constituency. BSP chief Mayawati campaigned for Rai in his absence, a fact which was used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attack the BSP chief.
Crime chart
- Forty-three per cent of newly elected Lok Sabha members have criminal cases lodged against them
- This is a 26 per cent rise over the last Lok Sabha elected in 2014: Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR)
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