In a significant development, a special MP-MLA court in Bhadohi on Friday sentenced jailed mafia don and four-time former MLA Vijay Mishra, along with his wife and son, to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in a land-grabbing case. His daughter-in-law was also convicted and awarded a four-year simple imprisonment term. The court additionally imposed a total fine of Rs 5.26 lakh on the accused.
This verdict comes just two days after Mishra was awarded a life term in a 1980 murder case in Prayagraj. The land-grabbing case was registered in 2020 against Mishra, a former MLA from Gyanpur assembly seat in Bhadohi, and his family members on a complaint filed by his relative, Krishna Mohan Tiwari.
Charges and Investigation
The accused were charged with voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy, house trespass, wrongful confinement, cheating, extortion-related threats, and offences under the Information Technology Act. Bhadohi Superintendent of Police Abhinav Tyagi stated that effective investigation and consistent follow-up by the police, monitoring cell, and public prosecutor Pravesh Tiwari led to the successful conviction.
Court's Verdict
The Fast Track Court of Additional Sessions Judge and Special Judge (MP-MLA), Pushpa Singh, found the accused guilty and awarded the sentences accordingly. Mishra, his wife Ramlali, and son Vishnu were each sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. Fines of Rs 1.76 lakh were imposed on Mishra, Rs 1.75 lakh on Ramlali, and Rs 1.65 lakh on Vishnu. Additionally, Rupa, the daughter-in-law, was awarded four years of simple imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 10,000.
This marks the first instance in which Mishra's wife and daughter-in-law have been convicted and sentenced in any case. Mishra currently has around 86 criminal cases registered against him, including charges of murder, robbery, kidnapping, rape, assault, property grabbing, forgery, and extortion. He is currently lodged in Agra jail.
Previous Conviction
On Wednesday, a special MP-MLA court in Prayagraj awarded a life term to Mishra and three others in a 46-year-old murder case. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on each of the four convicted individuals. The court had convicted Mishra along with Jeet Narayan, Santram, and Balram for gunning down 35-year-old Prakash Narayan Pandey on the district court premises on February 11, 1980. Pandey, a university student, had come to Prayagraj's district court to seek bail in a case filed against him and had an old feud with Santram and Balram.
This latest conviction adds to the long list of legal troubles for Mishra, who has been a prominent figure in the criminal underworld of Uttar Pradesh.
