High Court stays Kalka ex-MLA’s sentence

Legal Correspondent

Shimla, April 19

The High Court today stayed the three-year sentence awarded to former Kalka MLA Pradeep Chaudhary by a Judicial Magistrate, Nalagarh, in the case of assault and rioting.

Justice Sandeep Sharma passed the order on a petition filed by Pradeep Chaudhary, challenging the order of the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Nalagarh.

The Judicial Magistrate, Nalagarh, on January 28 had convicted and sentenced Pradeep in an almost 10-year-old case. The FIR was registered on June 13, 2011. As per the prosecution, Chaudhary and others turned violent, attacked police personnel and damaged the public property while agitating on the issue of the death of a person.

Chaudhary contended before the court that since he had challenged the conviction awarded by the Judicial Magistrate, Nalagarh, before the Appellate Court and till the pendency of the appeal, the sentence awarded to him by the trial court should be stayed. Allowing his plea, the High Court stayed the sentence awarded to him.