The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to Nandan Lal Rai, a political candidate who wishes to contest the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections as an independent or BJP member, in a murder case.
In its October 5 order, the Allahabad High Court temporarily halted the conviction and life sentence of Nandan Lal Rai, also known as Babloo Rai. The court granted bail to allow Rai an opportunity to survive and hear the final verdict in his appeal, which is still pending. This decision was made considering the right to livelihood of a common citizen as being no less important than a politician's right to contest elections. Rai was convicted by a Varanasi court in April 2025 for the 2017 murder of Pramod Kumar Nigam, a member of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement that aimed to construct a temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Ram at the Ayodhya site where Babri Masjid once stood. The court referenced previous Supreme Court rulings that have stayed convictions of public representatives, acknowledging their special duty towards their constituency and the potential loss of election opportunities if convictions are not halted.
Rai was associated with gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari. His counsel argued that Rai was 'falsely implicated' merely on the basis of 'suspicion and conjecture'. The elections for which Rai is seeking to contest are expected to be held in the first half of 2027.
Source:
Scroll.in
