Jayant Sinha clarifies on row over felicitating lynching convicts

After sparking a political storm by welcoming eight men who were convicted in the Ramgarh lynching case in Jharkhand with a garland, Union Minister Jayant Sinha on Saturday said that the Ranchi high court has suspended the sentence of the accused and released them on bail.

The Union minister of state for civil aviation said on Twitter, “In the Ramgarh case (mob lynching), the Ranchi high court, which is the first court of appeal, has suspended the sentence of the accused and released them on bail while admitting their case. The case will once again be re-heard.”

Sinha further said that he has full faith in our judiciary and that those who are innocent would be spared while the guilty would be appropriately punished.

“I have full faith in our judiciary and rule of law. Unfortunately, irresponsible statements are being made about my actions when all that I am doing is honouring due process of law. Those that are innocent will be spared and guilty will be appropriately punished,” he said.

He added, “I have repeatedly expressed my misgivings about the fast-track court judgment sentencing each accused to life imprisonment. I am pleased that the Hon’ble high court will hear the matter as a statutory court of appeal to test the correctness of the fast-track court order.”

Sinha, who represents the Hazaribagh seat in Lok Sabha, on Friday felicitated eight men convicted for killing a meat trader in Jharkhand last year.

In a picture that has gone viral, the Union minister could be seen garlanding the convicts in the Ramgarh lynching case in Jharkhand at his residence on the outskirts of Hazaribagh.

A Ramgarh court had sentenced the 11 accused, in connection with the Alimuddin murder case in Ramgarh district to a lifetime in prison.

Alimuddin, also known as Asgar Ansari, was intercepted by a mob and beaten to death in June last year over suspicions of transporting beef in his vehicle near Bazartand village. The mob later set the vehicle ablaze.

Following the lynching incident, section 144 was imposed in Ramgarh.