Kasaragod: Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader and Manjeshwaram MLA A K M Ashraf was sentenced to one-year imprisonment by a Kerala court on Tuesday in an over-a-decade-old criminal case.
At the time of the incident, Ashraf was a member of the district panchayat.
This verdict stems from a case dating back to January 2010, where Ashraf was involved in manhandling a Tehsildar over adding names to the electoral voter list.
Kasaragod Judicial First Class Magistrate Abdul Basit handed down the sentence along with a fine of Rs 20,000.
According to the prosecution, the Tehsildar was manhandled by Ashraf during the verification process of the application related to adding names to the voter list at the Manjeshwaram Block Panchayat Office.
The court had earlier acquitted him of the charge of obstructing a public servant from performing his duty.
The one-year imprisonment will not impact Ashraf’s current position as an MLA. Only a conviction in a criminal case for a minimum of two years would lead to disqualification.
Three Muslim League activists—Basheer, Abdullah, and Abdul Khader—have also received identical sentences in the same case.
(Published 31 October 2023, 15:09 IST)