A Bhadohi court in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday sentenced 15-year jail term to former four time MLA Vijay Mishra in a rape case. The court held the former MLA guilty under section 376 -2(N) (commits rape repeatedly on the same woman) and criminal intimidation of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) . This is the third case where he has been convicted. He is lodged in jail since 2020.
The matter dates back to October, 2020, when the victim filed a complaint alleging that in 2014, the former MLA called her to perform at a programme at his house and raped her. The victim also alleged that after raping her, the strongman told his son, Vishnu, and nephew, Vikas, to drop her home, but they too allegedly raped her on her way home. The court acquitted the former MLA’s son and nephew. The victim alleged that Mishra raped her repeatedly and threatened with dire consequences.
Mishra, who faces more than 50 criminal cases including murder, kidnapping, robbery, rape and forgery, had won Assembly elections in 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017. In 2017, he won the Gyanpur Vidhan Sabha seat on the symbol of NISHAD party by over 20,000 votes. Since, the last three years, the former MLA is facing actions from the Uttar Pradesh police with properties worth over ₹50 crore linked to him and his family members seized under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters’ and the Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act.
