Raj HC dismisses Anta MLA Kanwar Lal Meena’s appeal in criminal case; his assembly membership in peril

The Rajasthan High Court has endorsed the trial court’s verdict of 3-year imprisonment for the ruling BJP legislator Kanwar Lal Meena in a 20-year-old case of threatening an on-duty public servant.

The single bench of Justice Umashankar Vyas, while dismissing the appeal on Friday filed by Anta (in Baran district) MLA Meena against the judgement of Additional District Judge, Aklera, delivered in 2020, directed the convicted MLA to surrender before the authorities.

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As per the case record, Meena on February 3, 2005 had threatened on gunpoint the then SDM Ram Niwas Mehta for conceding to his demand of repolling in election for Deputy Sarpanch in Khatakhedi village near Manohar Thana town. He had also tried to block traffic on the road and had also broken the CD of official videography.

IAS officer Dr Pritam B Yashwant and Ram Niwas Mehta had lodged a case against Meena in the court that had convicted him, awarding a 3-year jail term and a cash penalty of Rs 10,000.

With the dismissal of his appeal in the High Court, Meena is liable to be disqualified from his assembly membership. Though he still has the option of moving in the review petition before the High Court division bench or an appeal before the Supreme Court against the HC single bench’s order.