High Court Postpones AAP Leader Sanjay Singh's Hearing to August

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has postponed the hearing on a revision petition filed by AAP leader Sanjay Singh to August 22. Singh is seeking bail in connection with a demonstration staged in 2001. The AAP Rajya Sabha MP was convicted by the trial court on January 11, 2023, and his appeal was dismissed by the sessions court on August 6, 2024.

Details of the Case

The case dates back to June 19, 2001, when Singh and Anoop Sanda, then a leader of the Democratic Socialist Party, along with their supporters, blocked a road near a flyover during a protest over power issues. The special court's magistrate, Yogesh Yadav, convicted all six accused, including Singh and Sanda, on January 11, 2023. They were sentenced to 45 days in jail and fined Rs 1,500 each.

In his revision petition before the high court, Singh challenged the conviction and sentence, seeking suspension of the sentence. However, the state counsel opposed this plea. They argued that since the sessions court had directed Singh to appear before the trial court on August 9 to serve out his sentence but he did not surrender, his revision plea is not maintainable.

Arguments Presented

Senior advocate S C Mishra, representing Singh, contended that the high court has the authority to hear the revision without requiring Singh to surrender before the trial court. Despite this argument, the bench noted that no application for exemption from surrender had been filed on behalf of Singh.

The special sessions judge MP/MLA Ekta Verma had dismissed the appeal of both Singh and Sanda against their conviction and sentence last week. This dismissal led to Singh's current appeal to the high court.

Sanjay Singh is one of the founding members of AAP, which was established in 2012. He hails from Sultanpur district and was previously associated with the Democratic Socialist Party before joining AAP.

After considering all arguments, the bench decided to fix the next hearing date for August 22. This decision allows more time for both parties to prepare their cases adequately.

The outcome of this case could have significant implications for Sanjay Singh's political career and his role within AAP. The legal proceedings continue to be closely monitored by political observers and party supporters alike.

The high court's decision on August 22 will be crucial in determining whether Singh will receive bail or have to serve his sentence as directed by the lower courts.