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Punjab Cabinet Minister Aman Arora, along with nine co-accused, including his 85-year-old mother, faced a two-year imprisonment and a fine of ₹5,000 each in a 2008 assault and trespass case. Swiftly applying for bail, relief was granted until January 21 by the court of sub-divisional judicial magistrate, Sunam.
Arora’s immediate disqualification as an MLA looms if he fails to overturn or suspend his conviction in a higher court. Asserting the judiciary’s supremacy, Arora expressed his intention to appeal in a higher court.
The case originated from a complaint by Arora’s brother-in-law, Rajinder Deepa, a member of the Shiromani Akali Dal, accusing Arora’s family of forcibly taking possession of his house. Convicted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including house-trespass, assault, rioting, and unlawful assembly, Arora and others now navigate the legal repercussions.
Under Section 8(3) of the Representation of Peoples Act 1951, a legislator convicted for an offence and sentenced to two or more years faces immediate disqualification, with a further ban for six years, unless the conviction is suspended.
Arora, holding key portfolios in the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government, faces potential disqualification. On the matter, he deferred to the Punjab legislative speaker or chief minister, emphasizing his lack of legal expertise.
Rajinder Deepa urged the speaker to issue a disqualification order and called for Arora’s resignation on moral grounds.
A two-time legislator from Sunam, Aman Arora holds crucial portfolios in the AAP government, emphasizing employment generation, training, governance reforms, grievance resolution, and energy resources.
Arora becomes the second AAP minister to face conviction, following Balbir Singh, who also encountered a family dispute case, securing bail thereafter. The unfolding legal and political dynamics leave questions about the future of Arora’s political career.
