Team News Riveting
Ranchi, December 13
Ramgarh MLA Mamta Devi, accused in the Gola firing case, has been sentenced to five years imprisonment.
The court of Hazaribagh District Judge IV Kumar Pawan pronounced the sentence. A fine of Rs 10,000 has also been imposed on the MLA.
Congress MLA Mamta Devi along with 12 others was taken into custody on Thursday after being convicted in a case related to Inland Power Limited firing case at Gola in Ramgarh that took place in 2016. The villagers were staging a dharna, led by Mamta Devi in August 2016, demanding the closure of Inland Power Limited in Gola during which the crowd got violent.
The police had to open fire to protect themselves resulting in the killing of four persons while several others were left injured, including the Circle Officer, Block Development Officer, officer-in-charge of Rajrappa Police Station and several other policemen. An FIR (29/2016) was lodged against Mamta Devi, local firebrand leader Rajeev Jaiswal and several others at Rajrappa Police Station following a complaint lodged by then Block Development Officer Dinesh Prasad Suri.
The quantum of sentence was to be pronounced on December 12 but was deferred following the death of a court lawyer. The special court of MP MLA had convicted the MLA and 12 others in half a dozen sections including 307, Arms Act. Besides MLAs Mamta Devi, Rajiv Jaiswal, Manoj Pujjar, Abhishek Soni, Baleshwar Bhagat, Kuvar Mahto, Jadu Mahto, Adil Inami, Dildar Hussain, Basudev Prasad, Subhash Mahto, Kuleshwar Mahto were convicted in this case.
Following the sentence, another Jharkhand MLA will be disqualified from the membership of the Legislative Assembly.
Earlier, Mandar legislator Bandhu Tirkey had also been disqualified as a member of the Jharkhand legislative assembly after being sentenced by a special CBI court in Ranchi on March 28 for amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income during his first stint as MLA between 2005 and 2009.
