But showing scant regard to this rule of law is an aspiring politician in Bihar, Sanjay Kumar, who deliberately hid the fact that he was convicted in a rape case, so that he could contest the Assembly polls from Jehanabad constituency, a Maoist stronghold.
Son of the late Rajendra Shaw, Sanjay was accused of attempting to outrage the modesty of a woman (name withheld) after forcibly entering her house.
When the trial was over, the court found him guilty under Sections 425, 376/511/34, and sentenced him to three years of imprisonment.
Papers in order
But while filing the nomination papers from Jehanabad as an Independent nominee, Sanjay did not mention the punishment awarded to him by a speedy trial court.
As a consequence, during scrutiny in the presence of the election observer, his papers were found to be in order. It was then that his rivals raised a hue and cry over how a convicted person (who has been sentenced three years’ imprisonment) could contest the election.
The matter was then brought to the notice of the Election Commission and the court ruling cited to buttress the point. “The matter was not brought to my notice earlier. Now that I have been briefed on the case, a thorough inquiry will be ordered into the case,” said additional chief electoral officer Kumar Anshumali.
