Delhi polls 2013: From murder to kidnapping, know your MLA's crimes

Top on the list of MLAs in the Delhi Assembly who are facing serious criminal charges is Asif Mohammad Khan of the Rashtriya Janata Dal. His party recently gained the dubious distinction of having its leader, former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, disqualified from Parliament after being convicted in a fodder scam case earlier this month. Khan is among the six MLAs in the Delhi Assembly against whom serious criminal cases are pending. As per a recent report by Association of the Democratic Reforms (ADR), a voluntary group working on issues of electoral reform, as many 29 of the Delhi’s MLAs are accused in criminal cases, this includes the six MLAs facing serious charges. (Serious offences being defined as those which attract punishment of over five years, related to corruption, or a violation of electoral laws.) ADR analysed affidavits (filed by candidates with their nomination papers for the 2008 election) of 68 MLAs out of the total 70 in the Delhi Assembly. With 43 percent of the MLAs accused of committing crimes, Delhi has the highest number of elected representatives with a criminal backgrounds among the five states going to polls in the next two months. [caption id=“attachment_1166753” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Nothing to cheer about for Delhi voters?. Reuters image[/caption] Delhi is followed by Madhya Pradesh (25 percent), Rajasthan (16 percent), Chhattisgarh (13 per cent) and Mizoram (5 per cent). Delhi Assembly’s most serious offender, RJD’s Khan, won the bye-election from Okhla in September 2009, ending the 15-year Congress reign of the constituency. With his win, Khan marked RJD’s debut in the Delhi Assembly. As per data analysed by ADR, Khan has 16 cases registered against him for offences of trafficking, murder, promoting enmity between communities and committing prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony. After Khan, on the list of top three MLAs charged with serious crimes, is independent MLA Bharat Singh, who made headlines last year after being shot at by four gunmen in Najafgarh, his constituency. Singh, a former municipal councillor, has three registered cases of murder and attempted against him, according to ADR’s analysis. Singh’s brush with crime, however, pales in comparison to that of his brother Kishen Pehalwan, who earned notoriety for being among Delhi’s most wanted criminals with multiple murder cases registered against him. However, that hasn’t impeded Pehalwan’s rise (who went to become a municipal councillor) and his brother Singh from making successful careers in politics. Third on the most-tainted list of MLAs is BJP’s Kulwant Rana. Rana, elected from Rithala constituency, was arrested by the Delhi Police in April after being charge-sheeted for offences under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. According to the Delhi police, Rana is a “habitual offender with no respect for law” who is also involved in criminal cases for obstructing public servants, unlawful assembly and assault. When he got elected in 2008, Rana had two cases against him for kidnapping, unlawful confinement, and using criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty, as per ADR’s analysis of his affidavit. The other three MLAs accused of serious crimes include: - Devendar Yadav of the Congress, MLA from Badli, who faces charges that include theft and criminal intimidation - BJP’s Naresh Gaur from Babarpur who is accused in three cases for offences that include obstructing public servant from discharging their duties, voluntarily causing hurt and theft - Neeraj Basoya, Congress MLA from Kasturba Nagar and an advocate by profession, who is accused of using dangerous weapons to cause hurt, criminal intimidation and wrongful restraint. The lone convicted MLA in the Delhi Assembly as per ADR’s report is Mohan Singh Bisht. A BJP MLA from Karawal Nagar, Bisht was convicted in 1995 of causing voluntary hurt, wrongful confinement. He has appealed against the verdict. Bisht is accused in four other criminal cases for rioting armed with deadly weapon (punishable with upto three years), using criminal force to deter public servant from discharging his duties and voluntarily causing hurt and insulting the modesty of a woman, among other offences. Leading the way in being the party with the most number of MLAs accused of crimes is the BJP with 46 per cent of its MLAs having declared criminal cases, followed by the ruling party with 38 per cent. That ‘might is right’ is the guiding principal for Delhi’s MLAs accused of crimes is evident from a quick read through the list of offences they are accused of. Most common offences that MLAs have been booked for include preventing public servant from discharging his duty, voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation, disobedience of order promulgated by public servant, rioting and unlawful assembly.