Covid norms violation case: AAP's Sanjay Singh skips hearing at UP court

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh did not appear before an MP-MLA court here on Saturday in a 2021 COVID-19 norms violation case, citing his preoccupation with the ongoing Parliament session.

The court will now hear the matter on July 6.

Sanjay Singh's advocate Madan Singh said his client could not appear before the special MP-MLA court due to the ongoing Parliament session.

An application on his absence was filed in the court, which fixed July 6 as the next date of hearing.

During the last hearing, the court had issued a bailable warrant against Sanjay Singh for skipping several hearings and fixed June 29 as the next date of hearing.

Special Public Prosecutor Vaibhav Pandey said that on April 13, 2021, an FIR was registered against Sanjay Singh at Bandhu Kala police station alleging that he held a meeting in Hasanpur village in favour of the AAP's district panchayat member Salma Begum.

Around 50 people attended the meeting that was held during the COVID-19 pandemic without taking permission from the local administration, Pandey said.

He said this public meeting violated the Epidemic Act and the Election Code of Conduct.

After an investigation, police filed a charge sheet against Sanjay Singh, Maqsood Ansari, Salim Ansari, Jagdish Yadav, Maqsood, Sukai, Dharmaraj, Zeeshan, Shaban, Sikandar, Jalil and Ajay. While the other accused got bail in the case, the AAP leader did not appear in court, Pandey said.