BJP MP gets one year term for stopping train

Gorakhpur (UP), Jan 29 BJP MP Kamlesh Paswan and former corporator Rajesh Kumar have been convicted and sentenced to one-year-jail and also fined Rs 2,000 in a 17-year-old case by additional session judge, Namrata Agarwal.

Both were, however, released on bail after they told the court that they will file an appeal.

On December 18, 2004, Kamlesh Paswan, who was then the Samajwadi Party MLA from Maniram, corporator Rajesh Kumar and other SP workers had stopped a train at Nakha Jungle station during a 'rail roko' agitation.

They laid down on the tracks and called off the stir only after handing a memorandum to officials.

The guard and driver of the train had lodged an FIR with RPF Nakha Jungle post under Section 174 of Railway Act.

"It was a political rail roko movement of Samajwadi Party and thousands of people were part of it, but only we two have been punished. We will appeal in High Court," said Paswan.

( With inputs from IANS )