GORAKHPUR, April 30 -- A special MP/MLA court in Basti on Tuesday sentenced former BJP MLA Sanjay Jaiswal and four others to three years' imprisonment in connection with a 2003 case involving the looting of ballot papers and vandalism at a government office during MLC elections. The court also rejected their bail pleas, following which all five were taken into custody and sent to the district jail.

Circle officer (CO) Satyendra Bhushan Tiwari confirmed that the convicts were immediately remanded following the court's decision.

The verdict was delivered by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Parmod Giri, presiding over the MP/MLA court. The judgment came after the court had already convicted the five under various sections of the...