The Supreme Court has directed the Allahabad High Court to decide within 10 days on Irfan Solanki’s plea seeking a stay on his conviction in an arson case. Solanki, a Samajwadi Party leader, was sentenced to seven years in prison for allegedly setting a woman’s house on fire in Kanpur.
New Delhi: Today, on October 21st, the Supreme Court instructed the Allahabad High Court to resolve Samajwadi Party leader Irfan Solanki’s plea seeking a stay on his conviction in an arson case within 10 days. The bench, consisting of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, emphasized the urgency and asked the High Court to address the matter expeditiously.
Solanki was convicted by a local court in Uttar Pradesh for his involvement in setting a woman’s house on fire in Kanpur. The court sentenced him and others to seven years in prison. Following his conviction, Solanki was disqualified as a Samajwadi Party MLA, having previously won the 2022 assembly elections from Sisamau in Kanpur.
Solanki has since moved the Allahabad High Court, seeking a stay on both his conviction and the quantum of the sentence. However, the High Court has adjourned the case to November 6.
Earlier in June 2023, the MP-MLA court in Kanpur sentenced Solanki, his younger brother Rizwan Solanki, and three others to seven years of imprisonment. In addition, they were each fined ₹20,000 for their involvement in the arson case. The charges stemmed from an FIR lodged on November 8, 2022, by Nazir Fatima at the Jajmau police station, accusing the Solanki brothers of setting her house on fire as part of a conspiracy to seize her land.
The charges against them were framed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Sections 436 (Mischief by fire), 506 (Criminal intimidation), 504 (Intentional insult), 147 (Rioting), 427 (Mischief causing damage), 386 (Extortion), and 120B (Criminal conspiracy). According to the court’s ruling, “all the sentences will run simultaneously.”
As Solanki’s legal battle continues, the Supreme Court’s direction for a swift decision by the Allahabad High Court will be a crucial step in determining his political and legal future.
FOLLOW US FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES ON YOUTUBE