Malerkotla/New Delhi, 30 November 2024–Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Mehrauli constituency in Delhi, Naresh Yadav, has been sentenced to two years in prison and fined Rs 11,000 in connection with the 2016 Quran sacrilege case by the Malerkotla court, which found him guilty after a lengthy legal process.
The court also ruled that Yadav's sentence would be extended by an additional year if he fails to pay the fine.
Yadav was convicted on Friday after a local court overturned an earlier acquittal.
In March 2021, a lower court had acquitted Yadav and another accused, Nand Kishore, due to insufficient evidence. However, a criminal appeal filed by Malerkotla resident Mohammad Ashraf in April 2021 prompted renewed scrutiny, leading to Yadav’s conviction.
The case revolves around the discovery of torn Quran pages in Malerkotla on June 24, 2016, sparking widespread outrage. Initially, the police charged Vijay Kumar, Gaurav Kumar, and Nand Kishore. Later, Naresh Yadav’s name was added based on circumstantial evidence and the testimony of other accused individuals.
Yadav was arrested on July 24, 2016, under charges of conspiring to incite social unrest. Despite being acquitted in 2021, the appeal triggered a fresh legal review that ultimately led to his conviction this week.
Alongside Yadav, two other individuals, Vijay Kumar and Gaurav Kumar, were sentenced to two years in prison, with an additional fine of Rs 11,000 each.
In 2018, Yadav had called for an investigation into a suspicious Rs 90 lakh transaction linked to Vijay Kumar’s bank account, alleging connections with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).