The Supreme Court today put a stay on the Allahabad High Court order that sentenced former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Mukhtar Ansari to seven years for intimidating a jailer in 2003.

Ansari was sentenced for abusing and pointing a pistol at a jailer, besides threatening to kill him.

A bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice Vikram Nath passed the order on an appeal filed by Ansari against the High Court order convicting him.

A notice has been issued to the state of Uttar Pradesh by the bench in the matter while staying the order.

Mukhtar Ansari was represented by Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal while the State was represented by Additional Advocate General Garima Prashad.

Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh of the Allahabad High Court had set aside a 2020 order passed by the Special Judge acquitted Ansari of the charges on the ground that it had completely ignored the evidence of the jailer given in examination-in-chief and had only considered his cross-examination.

The High Court said that the approach of the trial court was palpably erroneous and was against the well-settled legal position as discussed.

Justice Singh had said the judgment and order passed by the trial court was unsustainable.

New Delhi (ILNS): The Allahabad High Court has directed Haji Mohammad Iqbal, a former Legislative Council member who came under the purview of the Enforcement Directorate investigation on money laundering, to appear before the ED and present his case.

This order has been given by Justice Suneet Kumar on the Petition of Afzal, son of Haji Mohammad Iqbal member of the Legislative Council from the BSP, the Court refused to intervene in the investigation and directed the ED not to take harassment action against Haji Iqbal’s family. Haji Iqbal’s family has been given two weeks to present his case in the ED.

The Allahabad High Court has stayed the harassment proceedings against Haji Iqbal and his family. He has also given time to present his case in the Enforcement Directorate Lucknow in two weeks.

The Court rejected the Petition, and refused to interfere with the Enforcement Directorate’s investigation.

Enforcement Directorate’s case was put forward by Gyan Prakash, Assistant Solicitor General, Government of India. He said that the ED has issued a notice on the charge of money laundering and called to show some papers.

The Petitioner has challenged the notice by not cooperating in the investigation. Money laundering is being investigated against them through fake companies. The ED had first called him on 25 September, now on 22 October.

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The Petitioner said that the trial is already running in the company Court. That is why the ED does not have the right to investigate the same case separately. The court said that this objection can be raised before the ED, whatever you have to say, appear before the ED and present your case.

The Enforcement Directorate is investigating allegations of money laundering against Iqbal. The Enforcement Directorate is investigating the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and on Supreme Court’s order. The CBI is also investigating the cases of former MLCs and has conducted raids several times.