Kanpur (UP), Jan 4 (PTI) A court on Wednesday extended the judicial custody of Samajwadi Party MLA Irfan Solanki till February 2 in a case under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act.

Additional District and Sessions Judge (MP-MLA) Satyendra Nath Tripathi extended the judicial remand of Solanki and others till February 2 after the MLA from Sisamau in Kanpur was produced before the court here by the police.

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The judge listed the Gangsters Act case against the SP MLA and others on February 2, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Kotwali) Ranjeet Kumar said.

Solanki's judicial remand was extended till January 17 in another case of rioting and arson related to a land dispute case by Additional Civil Judge (MP-MLA) Alok Yadav.

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The next hearing in the case will be on January 17.

As he was being escorted to a police vehicle, Solanki told reporters that he has full faith in the judiciary and exuded confidence that he will get justice from the court soon.

"Pen and paper are yours, but the judiciary is for all," said Solanki who has been in prison since December 2, when he along with his younger brother Rizwan surrendered before the police commissioner after being booked for rioting and arson in the land dispute case.

The SP MLA was brought to Kanpur from Maharajganj district jail where he was shifted on December 20 amidst tight security.

He was also kept at Kannauj district jail during night hours due to dense fog.

The jailed MLA is likely to be booked in several other cases related to land grabbing, extortion and criminal intimidation, said an official on condition of anonymity.

Just 10 days back, three criminal cases including under the stringent UP Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act and for alleged land grab and extortion were registered against Solanki and his henchmen at Jajmau police station, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Anand Prakash Tiwari said.

The third case was registered at Gwaltoli police station on charges of creating chaos and using criminal force to deter public servant from discharging official duties for a protest in August 2021, the police officer said.

With the three fresh FIRs, the number of cases registered against the MLA in a span of less than two months has reached eight. The politician faces a total of 18 cases now.

In 2010, the first case was registered against Irfan Solanki under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 at Gwaltoli police station.

One case was registered against him in 2011, three in 2014, two in 2017 and one in 2020.

In 2022, 10 cases were registered against him.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who visited the MLA in prison on December 19, said Solanki was innocent and had been falsely implicated in criminal cases.

Just hours after his meeting with Akhilesh Yadav, another FIR was filed against Solanki in conection with illegal stay of Bangladeshi nationals in the country and he was shifted to Maharajganj district jail the next day

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)