A local court on Saturday sentenced BJP MP Ram Shankar Katheria to two years’ jail for thrashing staff of a private power firm in 2011.
The former Minister of State for Human Resource Development, who now faces disqualification from the Lok Sabha, was also levied with a fine of Rs 50,000.
The lawmaker from UP’s Etawah was booked for thrashing the staff of Torrent Power Limited in Agra in 2011, when the state was governed by the Bahujan Samaj Party.
Katheria was booked at Hariparwat Police Station in Agra under section 147 (riots) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt to people).
On Saturday, Special Magistrate MP/MLA Court Anuj held Katheria guilty of the charges he was accused of and sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment.
Talking to reporters after the judgment, Katheria said, “I respect the court order, but I will use my right to appeal in the higher court.”
Recounting the incident that took place on November 16, 2011, Katheria said, “It was a matter related to an SC woman, who irons clothes on the Shamsabad road in Agra. She had complained to me about getting excessive electricity bill from Torrent.”
“One day the woman came to my office and threatened to commit suicide over the excessive bill,” he said.
The MP said that after he heard the woman’s complaint, he approached the Torrent office and asked officials there to reconsider the bills.
“In 2011, it was BSP’s government in Uttar Pradesh and many fake cases were registered against me. However, I have full respect for the court,” he said.
Ram Shankar Katheria contested from Agra Lok Sabha seat in 2009 and won. He again won in 2014 and was made MoS HRD. He stayed in that post from November 2014 till 2016.
He was also appointed the chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.
In 2019, he was denied a ticket from Agra Lok Sabha seat and was asked to contest from Etawah, from where he again won.