Yogi’s minister ‘flees’ from Kanpur court after guilty verdict

Lucknow: In a bizarre incident, an Uttar Pradesh minister allegedly fled from a Kanpur court even before the quantum of sentence could be decided in a 1991 case.

The court was about to convict the minister, Rakesh Sachan, but with the help of a lawyer, he escaped with the case file, according to sources. Late in the evening, a complaint was lodged by the court at the Kotwali Police Station for the registration of an FIR against the minister, added the source. The joint police commissioner said an FIR will be filed after the case is investigated.

Sachan, who heads the medium, small and micro enterprises and khadi departments in UP, has denied the allegations. The minister joined the BJP from the Congress just before the recent state elections, was found guilty on Saturday in a case of keeping an illegal weapon.

Opposition leaders including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged Sachan fled from the court before he could be taken into custody and before arguments on punishment could begin, according to a report published in The Wire.

The Kanpur Police confirmed late on Saturday night that a complaint had been received from officials of the court, but did not say whether the complaint has been converted into a police case against the minister, claimed the report.

“There is much that needs to be examined. We have been trying to get in touch with all stakeholders. We are taking our inquiry forward. Once the enquiry is complete, we will proceed according to the law,” Kanpur senior police officer AP Tiwari told reporters on Saturday night.

After the controversy, the minister tweeted photos of him attending an official meeting in a neighbouring district last night and today claimed the allegations against him were false and politically motivated.

“I have never run away in my life. These are all baseless cases against me. I reached the court a little before 11 am and requested for the case to be expedited since I had other engagements. The lawyer said it would take time and I requested him to put in an exemption application. I then left. I was at a function then for four hours and also attended other engagements. I then started hearing these allegations,” Sachan reported to have told newspersons in Kanpur on Sunday. – IANS