Convicted MLA Kanwarlal Meena surrenders in Rajasthan court in 20-year-old case

Jaipur, May 21 Ending all speculation regarding his future move, BJP MLA from Anta Assembly constituency, Kanwarlal Meena, finally surrendered on Wednesday at the ACJM Court in Manoharthana, in Rajasthan's Jhalawar district, in compliance with a Supreme Court directive.

Meena was sentenced to three years of imprisonment for a nearly two-decade-old case involving brandishing a pistol at an SDM and issuing life threats.

Following his surrender, Kanwarlal Meena said, “I have full faith in the judiciary.”

When questioned about filing an appeal, he responded, “Only my lawyer can comment on that.” After spending around 20 minutes in the courtroom, the ACJM of Manoharthana ordered Meena to be sent to judicial custody.

Meena was taken to Manoharthana Community Hospital under police escort for a mandatory medical examination and will subsequently be lodged at the Aklera Sub-Jail.

Sources suggest he may be shifted later to the district jail. Meena reached the court at around 11.15 a.m., accompanied by his lawyers and supporters. En route, he stopped at the Kamkheda Balaji Temple for 'darshan' before heading to the court to surrender.

The Supreme Court had given Meena a 15-day deadline to surrender after it rejected his plea challenging the High Court’s order on May 7. That deadline expired on Wednesday. The case dates back to 2005, when a complaint was filed against Kanwarlal Meena at Manohar Police Station for allegedly threatening an SDM with a pistol.

Although the trial court acquitted him in April 2018 due to a lack of evidence, the Additional District and Sessions Court in Aklera overturned the acquittal on December 14, 2020, convicting him and sentencing him to three years in prison.

Following the conviction, Meena filed a petition in the Rajasthan High Court, which was dismissed on May 2, 2025, prompting an immediate surrender order.

He then approached the Supreme Court, which also rejected his plea on May 7, affirming the surrender order.

A large number of police personnel and BJP supporters gathered at the Manoharthana Court premises during Meena’s surrender. The event drew significant media attention, as it marked the culmination of a high-profile legal battle involving a sitting MLA.

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