Allahabad High Court Suspends Conviction of Nandlal Rai in 2017 Murder Case

Prayagraj, October 19 (Daily Kiran) : The Allahabad High Court has suspended the conviction and sentence of Nandlal Rai, also known as Bablu Rai, in connection with a murder case from 2017. The court emphasized that the right to livelihood for an ordinary citizen is as significant as a politician’s right to contest elections.

Before his conviction, Rai had identified himself as an active member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and expressed his intention to run as an independent candidate or potentially on a BJP ticket in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

A bench comprising Justices Siddharth and Vinay Kumar Dwivedi issued this order on October 5 while hearing Rai’s criminal appeal challenging the lower court’s decision that found him guilty of murder and sentenced him accordingly.

In its ruling, the high court noted that a hearing on the appeal filed in 2026 is unlikely to occur in the near future. Therefore, it deemed it necessary to suspend the conviction and sentence while the proceedings remain pending.

The bench, led by Justice Siddharth, remarked that considering the right to livelihood of an ordinary citizen is not less important than a politician’s right to contest elections, it was appropriate to suspend Rai’s conviction and sentence until a final decision on his appeal.

The court referenced a Supreme Court ruling in the case of Afzal Ansari vs. State of Uttar Pradesh (2024), which established criteria for suspending convictions, including whether denying such relief would result in injustice or irreversible consequences.

The high court noted that the Supreme Court has previously suspended the convictions of public representatives, recognizing that such convictions adversely affect their ability to contest elections.

In granting relief to Rai, the high court ordered his release on bail, provided he presents a personal bond and two sureties of the same amount to the satisfaction of the relevant court. Additionally, the court ordered that the sentence would remain suspended while the appeal is pending.

However, the bench imposed several conditions, including a directive that Rai cannot transfer, sell, or otherwise dispose of any immovable property in his name without the court’s permission while on bail. He was also instructed to deposit 50% of the fine within one month of his release, with the remaining amount suspended until the appeal is resolved.

This case pertains to the murder of a whistleblower’s father, who was shot dead while returning home from the market around 7:30 PM. Rai’s lawyer argued against the conviction, stating that his name was not included in the First Information Report (FIR) and that his alleged involvement was revealed only 17 days after the FIR was filed.