Chennai, Jan 7 (UNI) A Special Court trying cases against MPs and MLAs,
on Monday convicted and sentenced Tamil Nadu Minister for Youth Welfare
and Sports Development P Balakrishna Reddy to three years imprisonment
in connection with a 1998 stone pelting case.
The case pertained to stoning of buses during a protest at Bagalur near
Hosur in Krishnagiri district in 1998 during a protest rally against illicit liquor.
Cases were registered against him under the Tamil Nadu Public Property
(Prevention of damage and loss) Act for stoning government buses and
causing damages to them.
Since the conviction was more than two years, Mr Reddy stood automatically
disqualified as MLA as per the Representation of People's Act.
However, following a memo filed by Mr Reddy, who was with BJP then, stating
that he would file an appeal in the High Court tomorrow, Special Court Judge
J Shanthi suspended the sentence to enable him to file the appeal.
Reacting to the verdict, Mr Balakrishna Reddy told reporters outside the court
premises that he would file an appeal in the High Court tomorrow.
He said the case was filed against him by the then DMK government in 1998
when he participated in a protest rally for failing to curb the illicit liquor menace
following the death of 33 people in a hooch tragedy.
'This case was filed in this connection by the DMK', he added.
UNI GV 1734