BJP MLA Ramdular Gond Convicted of 2014 Rape: Faces 25-Year Sentence and Potential Assembly Seat Loss

In the Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh, BJP MLA Ramdular Gond, who represents the Duddhi constituency, has been convicted of raping a young girl in 2014. The court, presided over by Special Judge Ahsanullah Khan, delivered a significant verdict, finding Gond guilty under Section 376 for rape and Section 506 for causing the disappearance of evidence. The conviction comes with a 25-year prison sentence, including 20 years of hard labor, and a fine of Rs 10 lakh.

As per the Representation of the People Act, Gond may face the loss of his assembly seat, as legislators receiving sentences of two years or longer are immediately disqualified upon conviction. This disqualification persists for an additional six years after their release.

The legal proceedings, which were initially part of the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses) case, marked a crucial development only two days after Gond’s guilty verdict. The survivor’s attorney, Vikas Shakya, revealed that the court ordered the full fine amount to be given to the victim as compensation and for rehabilitation.

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Gond’s arrest in November 2014 was related to the sexual abuse of a young girl who had gone to relieve herself in the field of the village of Myorpur. During the incident, Gond’s wife served as the gram pradhan, but he was not an MLA at that time. The trial was transferred from a POCSO court to an MP-MLA court after Gond became a legislator.

Prior to the sentencing, Gond’s attorney pleaded for leniency, assuring the court that Gond would take full responsibility for the survivor’s family. The potential loss of Assembly membership looms over Gond, aligning with the fate of other Uttar Pradesh lawmakers, including Azam Khan and Vikram Singh Saini, who were disqualified in October 2022, as well as Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who faced disqualification in February 2020, all due to criminal convictions. This pattern persisted with the recent cases of Afzal Ansari and Abdullah Azam Khan, resulting in their imprisonment and subsequent loss of Assembly memberships earlier this year and in May, respectively.

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