The Allahabad High Court has suspended the conviction and life sentence of Nandan Lal Rai, a murder convict who has expressed his desire to enter the electoral fray in Uttar Pradesh’s 2027 Assembly elections, either as an independent candidate or on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket.
A Bench of Justices Siddharth and Vinai Kumar Dwivedi granted relief while hearing Rai’s plea in an appeal challenging his conviction. He was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Varanasi court in April 2025.
The Bench noted that the Supreme Court had previously stayed the convictions of elected representatives and observed that failing to obtain a stay could deprive a person of the opportunity to contest an election.
“Under the totality, facts and circumstances we are of the view that the conviction and sentence awarded to the appellant deserves to be stayed during the pendency of this appeal,” the Court held.
Defence questions prosecution evidence
Seeking relief during the pendency of his appeal, Rai’s counsel argued that the victim was politically active and that Rai had been implicated on the basis of suspicion rather than conclusive evidence.
The defence questioned the prosecution’s reliance on circumstantial evidence, pointing to the delayed disclosure of Rai’s name during the investigation, doubts surrounding eyewitness testimony and the circumstances in which the alleged murder weapon was recovered.
Media reports have identified Rai as one of the persons convicted in the murder of Pramod Kumar Nigam, an active member of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. Those reports have also linked Rai to gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari.
Election plans form part of plea
During the hearing, Rai’s counsel submitted that he had been an active BJP worker before his conviction and wished to contest the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, either independently or, if possible, as a BJP candidate.
The High Court considered these submissions while deciding the application. In its order dated October 5, it suspended Rai’s conviction and sentence during the pendency of his appeal.
The Bench also referred to the importance of livelihood, observing that the ability of an ordinary person to sustain himself was no less significant than a politician’s opportunity to contest an election.
“Keeping in view the right to livelihood of a common man which is not less important than the right to contest election by a politician, conviction and sentence of appellant deserves to be stayed so that he may be able to survive for hearing the final verdict in his above noted appeal,” the Court said.
The suspension of the conviction is an interim measure while Rai’s appeal remains pending; it does not amount to an acquittal or a final determination of the murder case.