Shahabuddin's poll hopes dashed by Patna High Court

Patna, March 24 (IANS) In a final blow to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Mohammed Shahabuddin's election hopes, the Patna High Court Tuesday dismissed his plea to suspend his conviction in a criminal case so that he can contest the Lok Sabha election.

A division bench of the court dismissed Shahabuddin's plea after hearing the case. The Supreme Court had Monday directed the Patna High Court to hear the case before March 30, the last date for filing nomination for the Siwan Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar.

The RJD had already nominated his wife Hina Sahab to contest from Siwan.

A Siwan court had convicted Shahabuddin on May 5, 2007, for kidnapping and trying to kill a Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist (CPI-ML) activist, Chote Lal, in 1999. The court in August 2007 sentenced him to 10 years in jail.

Under India's electoral laws, anyone convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to jail for more than two years is barred from contesting the polls.

Shahabuddin was convicted in 2006 in another case and sentenced to a two-year jail term for carrying out an armed raid on the CPI-ML office in 1998. However, his conviction in this case does not jeopardise his right to contest an election.