Allahabad High Court stays Nandlal Rai’s murder conviction

The Allahabad High Court has stayed Nandlal Rai’s murder conviction and life sentence and granted him bail while his appeal is pending, following an October 5 order. The decision does not determine the appeal’s outcome. Rai, also known as Babloo Rai, was convicted by a Varanasi court in April 2025 for the 2017 murder of Pramod Kumar Nigam. The High Court’s order suspends the conviction and sentence during the appeal, allowing Rai to remain on bail while the case is considered. The bench, comprising Justices Siddharth and Vinai Kumar Dwivedi, said Rai’s right to livelihood warranted the stay. It also referred to Supreme Court decisions staying convictions of public representatives, noting that a conviction can prevent someone from contesting an election. The court said the stay would allow Rai to survive while awaiting the final decision in his appeal. Rai’s counsel told the court that he wished to contest the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election as an independent candidate or, if possible, on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket. Counsel described him as an active BJP worker before his conviction. The stated election intention formed part of the arguments before the court; the...