2022 Arson Case | Allahabad High Court Grants Bail To Disqualified SP MLA Irfan Solanki, Refuses To Stay Conviction
The Allahabad High Court on Thursday granted bail to Irfan Solanki, a now disqualified MLA of the Samajwadi Party, in a 2022 house arson case in which he was sentenced by a Special Court in Kanpur to seven years' rigorous imprisonment in June this year.
However, a bench of Justice Rajiv Gupta and Justice Surendra Singh refused to stay his conviction, clearing the way for the scheduled bye-election for the Sisamau seat on November 20. A detailed order in the matter is awaited.
Solanki, his brother and two others were convicted and sentenced for setting fire to a woman's house in 2022. Due to seven years of imprisonment, Solanki was disqualified as a member of the UP State Assembly.
In his appeal before the HC, Solanki prayed to stay the trial court's decision and grant bail until the High Court's final decision on the appeal. Last month, the Supreme Court also asked the Allahabad High Court to complete the hearing in this case and give its verdict in 10 days.