Court Upholds Six-Month Sentence for Ex-Congress MLA Asif Mohammad Khan in Land Encroachment Case

A sessions court has dismissed the appeal of former Congress MLA Asif Mohammad Khan and upheld his six-month imprisonment for land encroachment. The court emphasized that misuse of power by a public representative is the highest form of breach of public trust and directed Khan to serve his sentence.

A sessions court has dismissed the appeal of former Congress MLA Asif Mohammad Khan against his six-month imprisonment for land encroachment. Khan had been convicted by a magisterial court in 2018 for encroaching on Delhi Development Authority (DDA) land in Jasola.

Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Singh ruled that any lesser punishment would be disproportionate to the severity of Khan's offence, which involved the misuse of power as a public representative and constituted a grave breach of public trust. The court ordered Khan to be taken into judicial custody to serve his sentence.

Despite Khan's plea for leniency citing personal responsibilities, the court maintained that the existing sentence was appropriate. The court did, however, modify the sentence to account for the period of detention already undergone by Khan.

(With inputs from agencies.)