Agra: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ram Shankar Katheria on Monday moved an appeal in the Agra District Court challenging his recent conviction in a 2011 case connected to vandalism.
Accused of vandalizing and assaulting an employee of the Torrent Power Company office in 2011 an Agra court had on August 5 awarded Katheria a jail term of two years.
The MP-MLA court had found Katheria guilty under Sections 147 (rioting) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Katheria an MP from Etawah constituency in Uttar Pradesh said, “In 2011 Torrent company came into Agra under Mayawati's government. The company used to provide electricity. People opposed the company because it was charging customers.”
“Under political influence, FIR was registered on me and a verdict was announced two days ago. I have appealed to the District judge today,” said Katheria.
The Bharatiya Janata Party MP had previously served as the Union Minister of State, in the Ministry of Human Resource Development from November 2014 to July 2016.
Katheria is a member of Parliament's Standing Committee on Defence and Consultative Committee of the Union Home Ministry.
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