Samajwadi Party MLA Irfan Solanki among five convicted of setting afire woman's house

Kanpur (UP): An MP-MLA court in Kanpur on Monday convicted jailed Samajwadi Party MLA Irfan Solanki and four others of harassing a woman and setting her house on fire in a bid to grab her plot about 19 months back, a senior police official said.

Judge Satyendra Nath Tripathi has listed the case for Friday, when he is likely to pronounce the quantum of punishment.

The Commissioner of Police, Akhil Kumar, told PTI that SP MLA Irfan Solanki, his brother Rizwan Solanki, builder Shauqat Ali, Mohammad Sharif and Izrail alias 'Aate wala', who have a long criminal history, were convicted of setting Nazir Fatima's house afire in a bid to grab her plot, harassing and abusing her.

The alleged incident had occurred on November 7 in 2022. Irfan Solanki and Rizwan have been in prison since December 2 last year in connection with the case, he added.

They had surrendered before the police commissioner after they were booked for rioting and arson. A four-time MLA, Solanki is currently lodged in Maharajganj jail.