Delhi court convicts AAP MLA Manoj Kumar for obstructing polling process

A Delhi court has convicted AAP MLA Manoj Kumar for obstructing election process at a polling station in Kalyan Puri area of East Delhi during 2013 assembly polls.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal held Kumar guilty of obstructing a public servant in discharge of public functions, punishable under 186 IPC, and disorderly conduct in or near polling stations, section 131 of Representation of the People Act.

"The evidence led by the prosecution is reliable and trustworthy and that the prosecution has been able to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt as far as the commission of offence under section 186, IPC and section 131 of the RP Act.

"As a result of the aforesaid discussion, the accused Manoj Kumar is convicted," the court said in its June 4 judgement.

The court will hear arguments on June 25 on the quantum of sentence, which may be a maximum jail-term of three months, or fine, or both.

The case was lodged on a complaint regarding hindrance in the election process being created by over 50 protesters, led by the then AAP candidate Kumar, at the main gate of an MCD school, during 2013 Delhi assembly elections, which caused problems for the voters.

The protesters also closed the main gate of the school due to which the police staff and election officers were locked inside the school, causing obstructions in the polling process and obstructed the public servants to do their duty, the police said.

It added that even when the voting was over, the accused asked his volunteers not to allow the ballot boxes to be taken back and after closing the main gate, he sat in front of the gate.

Due to this, the ballot boxes were taken from the other gate of the school, police had said.

Kumar, currently an MLA from East Delhi's Kondli constituency, had denied the charges and said that the case was politically motivated.