RANCHI: A Ranchi court on Tuesday sentenced Lohardaga MLA Kamal Kishore Bhagat of All Jharkhand Students Union to seven years' rigorous imprisonment in an attempt to murder case .

The court of additional judicial commissioner Krishna Kumar on Tuesday awarded seven-year rigorous imprisonment to MLA Kamal Kishore Bhagat, along with another party leader Alastair Bodra, in a 21-year-old attempt to murder case.

All Jharkhand Students Union is an alliance partner of the ruling BJP in Jharkhand.

Jail for Bhagat, a founding member of AJSU Party, has come as a shocker for his followers and the party.

The court had on Monday found Bhagat and Bodra guilty under 307 (attempt to murder), 325 (causing grievous hurt), 387 (grievous hurt in order to commit extortion) and 448 (house trespass). The two were sent to jail on Monday evening.

"Each of the two were awarded seven-year imprisonment with Rs 15,000 fine," public prosecutor CL Sharma said.

The legislator has been disqualified as per the order of the Supreme Court in July 2013, said chief electoral officer P K Jajoria.

The byelection for the Lohardaga assembly seat will be held within six months.

The development, however, does not pose any threat to the government which enjoys support of five AJSU legislators (now only four).

The BJP has 43 legislators besides four from AJSU Party in the 81-member assembly.

A group of AJSU leaders had on September 28, 1993 barged into the chamber of famous city-based neurologist KK Sinha seeking extortion. As he refused to give money a scuffle followed (involving guards of the doctor and AJSU Party leaders) during which one AJSU party leader Sudarshan Bhagat died.

Bhagat's lawyer Bikrant Sinha said: "We will move to the high court against the verdict".

AJSU spokesperson Deo Sharan Bhagat said the party has full faith in the judiciary. "In the same incident our leader Sudarshan Bhagat was killed. The government should set-up a special investigation team to probe the incident. The entire party is waiting for justice," Bhagat said.

