UP Govt minister refutes charges of leaving court hearing

Lucknow 7 Aug: A minister in Yogi Adityanath’s Uttar Pradesh cabinet is accused of leaving a Kanpur court following a guilty verdict in a 1991, case before the extent of sentence could be decided.

Rakesh Sachan, the minister in-charge of the medium, small and micro businesses, and khadi departments in Uttar Pradesh, has disputed the charges.

Sachan, who switched from the Congress to the BJP shortly before the recent state polls, was found guilty on Saturday of possessing an illegal firearm.

Opposition politicians, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, claimed Sachan left the court before he could be apprehended and debates on his sentencing could begin.

“I’ve never fled in my life. These are all bogus allegations leveled at me. I arrived at the court just before 11 a.m. and requested that the case be expedited because I had other commitments. I asked the lawyer to submit an exemption application because he claimed it would take time. I walked away. I was at an event for four hours and also had other commitments at the time. I began to hear these after that,” Sachan spoke to media in Kanpur on Sunday.” Allow the court to examine the CCTV footage. I’ll be in court on Monday to explain my side of the story with the help of my lawyers,” Sachan said.

Meanwhile, sources revealed that the police-administration is trying to find out the reason for withdrawing the four cases registered against State MSME Minister Rakesh Sachan.

The district administration and police are busy preparing the status report of four cases registered on Sachan. From the investigation report of the cases registered in Gwaltoli, Kotwali and Naubasta, the opinion of the prosecution officer has been sought on the evidence recorded in the case diary, in addition to the opinion of the DM and police, prosecution officer regarding the withdrawal of the case.

However, in the Naubasta case, he was to be sentenced on Saturday, before he left the court. The cases under which the report is being prepared include the cases of Arms Act registered in Naubasta and Kotwali, besides two cases of several sections like threat to murder at Gwaltoli police station.

Sources say that after the developments in the court on Saturday, the government has asked to send the report as soon as possible. Efforts are being made that before the next hearing in this case, the process of withdrawing the case registered on Sachan should be started.