India, Oct. 21 -- The Allahabad High Court has stayed the conviction and sentence of a man convicted in a 2017 murder case after noting that he wished to contest the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly election either as an independent candidate or, if possible, on a BJP ticket.

A two-judge bench comprising Justice Siddharth and Justice Vinai Kumar Dwivedi passed the order while hearing a criminal appeal filed by Nandlal Rai alias Babloo Rai, who was convicted by the Varanasi sessions court in 2025 in connection with a 2017 murder case which was registered at Sigra police station.

The court granted bail to the appellant, noting that he was a political figure and an active Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker before his conviction. "Keeping in vi...