A special court at Hazaribag in Jharkhand on Thursday convicted Congress legislator from Ramgarh, Mamata Devi, and 11 others in a case of violent protest in 2016 in which several officials were injured and two protesters killed in police firing.
The MP/MLA court of Kumar Pawan would announce the quantum of punishment to the convicts on Monday, said Atmaram Chaudhary, counsel representing the complainant in the case, Dinesh Suren, who was then a block development officer posted at Ramgarh.
A punishment of two years or more in jail would invite immediate disqualification of Mamata Devi from the Jharkhand assembly.
“The court has held the accused guilty for rioting and other offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), besides section 27 of the Arms Act. The court would deliver the quantum of punishment on December 12. All the convicts have been sent into judicial custody,” said Chaudhary.
The case pertains to a protest by around 200 people led by Mamata, then was a Zila Parishad member, on August 29, 2016, against a private firm at Gola in Ramgarh district. The protesters went on a rampage and injured civil administration and police officials in the process. The police opened fire to contain the violence, leading to death of two protesters.
The then block development officer, Dinesh Suren, had filed a case against Mamata Devi and others with Rajrappa police station. She and others were arrested but secured bail months later. Mamata Devi contested on Congress ticket in the 2019 assembly polls and won.
Congress MLA Amba Prasad, who met Mamata Devi in custody, said they would challenge the verdict in the Jharkhand high court.
Congress has 18 members in Jharkhand assembly.
