The Allahabad High Court on Thursday granted bail to three accused in a gangster case, including Samajwadi Party leader and former Kanpur MLA Irfan Solanki. The order was passed by a single bench of Justice Samir Jain, which had reserved its judgment on September 2 after completing the arguments.
Along with Irfan Solanki, bail was also granted to his brother Rizwan Solanki and Israel Atewala. The state government, represented by Additional Advocate General Manish Goyal and Additional Government Advocate, had opposed the bail pleas.
Advocate Imran Ullah appeared for Irfan Solanki, arguing that other co-accused in the same case had already been granted bail, and therefore, his plaintiffs should also be granted bail based on the principle of equality. The court accepted the arguments of Irfan’s lawyer and granted bail to all three accused, including the former MLA.
However, government lawyers strongly opposed this, arguing that Irfan is the main accused and therefore not entitled to the benefit of equality.
Irfan Solanki, currently lodged in Maharajganj jail, is expected to be released soon. His wife, Naseem Solanki, the current MLA from Kanpur’s Sisamau constituency, was present at the High Court during the hearing.
There was a festive atmosphere at home after the news reached Irfan’s mother. When Irfan’s mother received the news over the phone, she became emotional. She told her daughter-in-law, Naseem, “This is a very happy thing.” Thank you very much, Insha Allah.
Speaking to the media, Irfan’s wife said, “I am very happy. I have everyone’s blessings. All the cases are false. Insha Allah, they will all be over. I have faith in the High Court. I hope my husband will return to us within 24 hours.”
The case was initially registered on December 26, 2022, at Jajmau police station by then-Inspector Ashok Kumar Dubey under the Gangster Act. Irfan Solanki was named as the gang leader, with others including Rizwan Solanki, Israel Atewala, Mohammad Sharif, Shaukat Pehlwan, Ejaz alias Ajjan, and Mursaleen Bholu listed as co-accused. Several accused had previously filed discharge petitions, which were dismissed on August 31, 2025. The court had scheduled September 10 as the date for framing of charges.On September 10, the accused were summoned to the ADJ-8 court in Kanpur. However, Irfan Solanki was unable to appear in court due to illness and a prior appointment for treatment at BRD Medical in Gorakhpur.
Rizwan Solanki and Israel Atewala were lodged in Kanpur jail, while other accused were out on bail. With Thursday’s verdict, all three have now been granted bail. Their lawyer, Imran Ullah, confirmed that Irfan Solanki will soon be released from jail.