The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to former MLA Irfan Solanki, who was accused under the U.P. Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities Prevention Act for allegedly setting fire to a woman’s house in December 2022. This bail, which comes on the heels of the release of Azam Khan, could be a significant boost to the Samajwadi Party.

The ruling, delivered by Justice Sameer Jain, also makes significant observations on procedural lapses and the political use of the state’s Gangsters Act.

The judge also noted that, while Solanki had a history of 17 criminal cases, several had been resolved without conviction, and others were on appeal or involved minor infractions. Moreover, he had already spent more than two and a half years in jail, more than the minimum of two years under the Act.

Solan

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