INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Raja Singh was on Friday sentenced to jail by a special court here for using criminal force against the police in 2015
He became the first public representative from the state to be sentenced and convicted by the special court set up to try criminal cases and
offences against MPs and MLAs.The special courts were set up on the directions of the Supreme Court to expedite the cases against the public
representatives, mostly in the time period of two to six months. Special court judge Ch
Vara Prasad convicted the Raja Singh under Section IPC 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty) and
506 (criminal intimidation) and sentenced him to undergo one-year imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs 5,000
The FIR was registered in 2015 by the Bolaram police against himThe charges were that Raja Singh used foul language and criminal force
against the police and prevented them from discharging their duties when they were trying to maintain public tranquility during a protest
staged by BJP leaders against a ‘beef festival’ at Osmania University on December 10, 2015. The police had arrested Raja Singh, who was
at the forefront of the protest, on a preventive basis to avoid any breach in the law and order situation when the MLA attacked
sub-inspector Mallesh.At the trial, additional public prosecutor Banala Ajay Kumar submitted the video record to show the physical force
Convinced, the court found Raja Singh guilty and convicted him.The court initially sentenced Singh to two years of imprisonment along with a
Counsel for the MLA urged the court to reduce the term by citing the good behavior of the MLA before the court. Responding to this, the
court reduced his sentence to one year and imposed a fine for Rs 5,000
In default of payment of fine, he will face simple imprisonment of three months.Raja Singh was given time to file an appeal against the
He was later granted bail on furnishing two sureties and a bond of Rs 10,000 each.The state government had accorded sanction in December
2018 for the establishment of a special court at Hyderabad for the trial of cases involving MPs and MLAs
There was not much activity until the Supreme Court recently passed and order and issued guidelines asking all High Courts to regularly
peruse the activities of the special courts.
