Principal Assault Case: Delhi Court Rejects Appeal Challenging AAP MLA Probation Sentence

The Rouse Avenue court in Delhi has rejected the appeal filed by a school principal challenging the probation sentence awarded to AAP MLA Abdul Rahman and his wife in an assault case. The court has also dismissed the appeal of AAP MLA Abdul Rahman, challenging his conviction.

The assault on the then-government school principal, who currently serves as a senior officer in the Education Department, took place in 2009. Special judge Geetanjali Goel dismissed both petitions.

On August 16, the court issued notice regarding an appeal challenging the sentence and probation release of AAP MLA Abdul Rahman and his wife. They were granted probation for one year in a case related to the assault of a government school principal in 2009.

The current criminal appeal was filed under Section 11(2) of the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958. This appeal sought to set aside the sentence order dated June 7, 2023, in which the respondents were granted probation.

On June 7, 2023, the court released AAP MLA Seelampur Abdul Rehman and his wife on the condition of maintaining peace and good behavior. They had been convicted in April for assaulting a government servant.

The court justified this decision by considering the report of the probation officer, which indicated that the convicts had a fixed abode within the local limits of the NCT of Delhi, were gainfully employed, and had a favorable and positive report about their behavior. There were no complaints of anti-social behavior against them.

The court imposed certain conditions, including that the convicts should not engage in any criminal activities, and any further legal issues would lead to the revocation of probation. The convicts were also required to deposit Rs 13,579 as the cost of prosecution.

The matter is scheduled to be reviewed after a 12-month interval for further consideration regarding punishment as per the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958.

The court had previously convicted MLA Abdul Rehman and another accused, Asma, for intimidating and assaulting a government school principal in 2009. They were convicted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for assault and criminal intimidation with common intention.

The court noted that the prosecution had successfully proven its case against the accused beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted both Abdul Rehman and Asma for their actions.

The incident involved Razia Begum, who was employed as a government servant working under the Directorate of Education and serving as the principal of a government school at the time. The complaint alleged that she was slapped by Asma while performing her duties, and Abdul Rehman and other individuals had threatened and abused her with the intention of outraging her modesty.