Ram Shankar Katheria, a member of the BJP, was given a two-year prison term on Saturday by a local court for beating up employees of a private power company in 2011.
The former Minister of State for Human Resource Development was also fined Rs. 50,000 and is now subject to expulsion from the Lok Sabha.
The MP from the Uttar Pradesh district of Etawah was arrested for assaulting Torrent Power Limited employees in Agra in 2011 when the Bahujan Samaj Party controlled the state.
Katheria was detained at the Hariparwat Police Station in Agra for violating sections 147 (riots) and 323 (willful infliction of bodily harm on others).
On Saturday, Katheria was given a two-year jail term by Special Magistrate MP/MLA Court Anuj after being found guilty of the accusations against him.
Katheria stated in a statement to reporters after the verdict, “I respect the court order, but I will use my right to appeal in the higher court.”
According to Katheria, who was telling the story of the event that happened on November 16, 2011, “It was a situation relating to a SC lady, who irons clothing on the Shamsabad road in Agra. She had complained to me about paying Torrent exorbitant power costs.
“The woman came to my office one day and threatened to kill herself because the bill was too high,” he added.
The MP said that after hearing the woman’s complaint, he went to the Torrent office and requested that the staff there reevaluate the charges.
“In 2011, I was the target of several fabricated charges in Uttar Pradesh under the BSP administration. But I have the utmost respect for the court,” he said.
In 2009, Ram Shankar Katheria ran for the Lok Sabha seat in Agra and was successful. He won once again in 2014 and was appointed MoS HRD. From November 2014 until November 2016, he held the position.
Additionally, he was chosen to lead the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.
He was refused a ticket for the Lok Sabha seat in Agra in 2019 and urged to run from Etawah, where he once again won.