Lucknow: A special court of CBI in Lucknow on Tuesday dismissed a criminal appeal filed by three accused and upheld their conviction in a two-decade-old case linked to violence during a lawyers’ protest in Etawah. The order was passed by the court of special judge (Prevention of Corruption Act), presided over by Madhu Dogra. Sunil Tandon (65), Sunil Kumar alias Sunil Bajpai (63) and Dharmendra Mishra (53), all residents of Etawah, had challenged the trial court’s Dec 10, 2024, judgment that convicted them under multiple sections of IPC, including unlawful assembly, rioting, voluntarily causing hurt and assault on public servants. The lower court sentenced them to varying terms of simple imprisonment ranging from one month to one year, along with fines. The case originates from a 2000 incident in Etawah involving a violent protest by lawyers inside the district collectorate. The probe was later handed over to the CBI following directions of the Allahabad high court in a public interest litigation.According to the prosecution, tension escalated after the murder of advocate Ranveer Singh Sengar and his family members, leading to a prolonged strike by lawyers. On Sept 15, 2000, a large group of advocates gathered at the Etawah collectorate, raised slogans against the administration and later turned violent.Officials alleged that the protesters allegedly resorted to stone-pelting. The accused claimed false implication.However, the CBI opposed the appeal, maintaining that the conviction was based on credible evidence and consistent witness testimonies.
