Rashtriya Janata Dal MLA Raj Ballabh Yadav has been sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a minor girl in 2016. The conviction means Yadav will lose his membership of the Bihar Legislative Assembly.
On December 15, a local court in Patna had convicted Yadav and five others in a case of rape of a minor girl two years ago. The court had fixed December 21 as the next date for hearing the arguments on the issue of quantum of punishment (sentence).
Yadav was convicted under section 376 (punishment for rape) of Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) 2012.
Raj Ballabh Yadav, who is Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA from Nawada, was named in a case of rape of a minor girl at his residence in Bihar Sharif on February 6, 2016. The girl was allegedly taken to the RJD legislator’s house on the pretext of a birthday party by a woman named Sulekha on the day.
The RJD had suspended him from the party on February 14, 2016.
The victim, fought all odds, to appear for her matriculation exams despite threats to her life while Yadav was absconding.
After evading arrest for a considerable time, the MLA surrendered after a local court issued proclamation notice and an order to attach his properties for not surrendering before the police.
The Bihar Police, in its chargesheet had also named Sulekha and her relatives as accused on the ground that they were supplying women and girls to the RJD MLA.
The Supreme Court on November 24, 2016, had cancelled Yadav’s bail granted by the Patna High Court.
