The Bombay High Court, recently, suspended the sentence of Omprakash alias Bacchu Kadu, Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Achalpur in Maharashtra, convicted for assault on a public servant and insulting him, observing that “sentence is minuscule in nature”.
Kadu is a leader of the Prahar Janshakti Party which is in alliance with the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis-led government in Maharashtra. Once a sitting MLA or MP is convicted for any offence and sentenced to a prison term, he/she loses the post.
Justice Bharati Dangre recently suspended his sentence observing: “Since the sentence is minuscule in nature, pending the adjudication of the appeal by this court, the sentence deserves to be suspended and the appellant is entitled to be released on bail on furnishing PR bond (personal bond) for the sum of Rs 25,000 with one or more sureties in the like amount.”
Charges on Bacchu Kadu
In 2017, he was booked by the Sarkarwada police in Nashik on allegations that he had abused and attempted to hit Nashik Municipal Commissioner Abhishek Krishna.
Kadu was allegedly a part of a group of protestors that was agitating over the issue of non-utilisation of funds reserved for persons with disabilities, organised as Prahar Apang Kranti.
He and others went to Krishna’s office to discuss the issue. However, a dispute ensued and Kadu allegedly charged towards Krishna and abused him.
Early this month, Nashik sessions court convicted Kadu for committing an offence punishable under sections 353 (assault or use of criminal force on a public servant) and 504 (intentional insult) of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced him to one year in prison.
Kadu challenged this before the HC. The High Court, while admitting his appeal, allowed his application for suspension of his conviction and sentence. His appeal will come up for hearing in due course of time.
On April 27, Justice Dangre had suspended the conviction and sentence of Mahendra Dalvi, Shiv Sena MLA from Alibaug. He was sentenced to two years in prison in an assault case of 2013.
