Prayagraj: The Allahabad high court on Thursday granted bail to former Samajwadi Party MLA Irfan Solanki in a 2022 Gangsters Act case. The order, passed by Justice Sameer Jain, paves the way for Solanki’s release from jail as it was the last criminal case pending against him. Justice Jain had reserved judgment on Sept 2, 2025, after hearing both sides, said his counsel Imran Ullah. He said Irfan, currently lodged in Maharajganj jail, had filed the bail application in the case registered against him at Jajmau police station under the UP Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act in Dec 2022. Irfan Solanki, his brother Rizwan and others were accused of setting a hut belonging to his neighbour on fire in an attempt to grab the land. In June 2024, he and Rizwan along with three others were sentenced to 7 years’ rigorous imprisonment. Consequently, the four-time MLA from Sishamau in Kanpur was disqualified from Uttar Pradesh assembly. Pleading the case in HC, his counsel said the applicant had been languishing in jail for the last two years seven months, whereas the minimum punishment in the Gangsters Act is two years. Besides, the applicant has been released on bail in all other criminal cases pending against him including the arson case after which Gangsters Act was imposed on him. Therefore, he is entitled for bail in the present case also, added the counsel. However, the state govt counsel opposed the bail on various grounds.