Allahabad High Court has given big relief to senior Samajwadi Party leader and former Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam in the case of possessing two PAN cards. The court has accepted the bail applications of both and suspended their sentence. However, the demand to stay the conviction has been rejected.
In such a situation, despite getting bail in this case, the release of Azam Khan and Abdullah Azam from jail will depend on their legal status in other cases. A single bench of Justice Samit Gopal gave this decision after hearing the revision petitions of both. The petitions challenged the sentence and conviction awarded by subordinate courts in the case of possessing two PAN cards.
The prosecution's case pertains to allegedly obtaining and using second PAN cards mentioning different dates of birth. The allegations also include the aspect of alleged use of this PAN card in electoral nomination papers. A senior Supreme Court advocate appeared on behalf of Azam Khan.
According to the prosecution, the case pertains to the alleged making and use of second PAN cards mentioning different dates of birth. The allegations also include the alleged use of a second PAN card in election nomination papers.
Azam Khan and Abdullah Azam had challenged the conviction and sentence of the lower court in the High Court through criminal revision petitions. In this sequence, both of them had demanded suspension of sentence and grant of bail.
Difference between stay on conviction and suspension of sentence: The High Court has granted bail while suspending the sentence of both, but has rejected the demand for stay on conviction. In such a situation, the order of conviction will remain intact. The final decision on the revision petitions is to be taken separately.