The Supreme Court on Monday instructed the Allahabad High Court to expedite its decision on Irfan Solanki’s plea seeking a stay on his conviction related to an arson case.
Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan emphasized the need for a prompt resolution, giving the High Court 10 days to address Solanki’s request.
Solanki, a Samajwadi Party leader who won the 2022 assembly elections from Sisamau in Kanpur, was convicted by a local court in Uttar Pradesh for setting fire to a woman’s house. He was sentenced to seven years in prison alongside three others and fined ₹20,000 each.
Following his conviction, Solanki appealed to the Allahabad High Court, which has adjourned the matter until November 6. His conviction has led to his disqualification from office.
The case originated on November 8, 2022, when Nazir Fatima filed an FIR at the Jajmau police station, alleging that Solanki, his brother Rizwan, and two others conspired to burn her house in an attempt to seize her land.
The charges against them included multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including arson and criminal intimidation. All sentences are to run concurrently.
