NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Additional Sessions Judge Rampur to consider on Thursday and dispose of Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan’s plea seeking stay on his conviction in a hate speech case.
A bench of CJI DY Chandrachud, and Justices Hima Kohli and JB Pardiwala also asked the Election Commission to defer the issuance of notification declaring the poll schedule of Rampur constituency and issue the same on or after November 11 depending on the outcome of the session’s court order. The bench also noted that the lower court had granted him interim bail.
Chandrachud also slammed the UP government and EC for disqualifying Khan and declaring his seat as vacant without giving him time to approach the appellate court. Questioning the EC’s action of failing to notify election to Khatauli Assembly constituency irrespective of the seat becoming vacant due to conviction of BJP MLA Vikram Singh Saini much Khan’s conviction, the bench said,
“These cases have cascading effects... You can’t pick and choose.” Senior Advocate P Chidambaram had told the court that his seat was declared vacant the very next day of him being convicted.