UP minister who fled court sentenced to a year in prison

The minister, a former MLA from Bhognipur assembly seat in Kanpur Dehat district, was charged under the Arms Act on Saturday. He then fled

Uttar Pradesh minister for micro, small and medium enterprises Rakesh Sachan, who had allegedly fled after being held guilty in an old case by a district court in Kanpur on Saturday, was sentenced to a year imprisonment Monday.

Additional chief metropolitan magistrate Alok Yadav also imposed a fine of Rs 1,500 on the minister, who surrendered before the court on Monday. The court later accepted the bail plea of the minister and ordered his release upon submission of two bail bonds of Rs 20,000 each and personal surety.

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The minister, a former MLA from Bhognipur assembly seat in Kanpur Dehat district, was charged under the Arms Act after a rifle was recovered from his possession in 1991. It was alleged that Sachan did not have a valid license for it.

The court found him guilty on Saturday. Sachan suddenly left the court a few minutes before the judgment and went incommunicado. It was alleged that the minister had taken a copy of the verdict with him. An official of the district court later lodged a complaint against the minister with the police.

The opposition parties demanded the sacking of Sachan after the incident. The minister claimed that he was not well and had not fled but had simply left the court. ''I did not flee...I was not feeling well and so I left,'' he claimed.