Lucknow, July 23: The Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court today extended till August 25 the interim stay on the arrest of Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav and seven other party leaders in connection with an FIR registered against them by BSP for allegedly forging video evidence to defame Chief Minister Mayawati. The division bench comprising Justice Vishnu Sahai and Justice Abdul Matin passed the order after the state government sought 10 days time to file counter-affidavit in the case.

The court also allowed the defendants three weeks from the filing of counter-affidavit to submit their rejoinder. BSP state president K K Sachan had lodged an FIR in April this year alleging that Yadav and seven other SP leaders, including SP general secretary Amar Singh and SP legislature party leader Azam Khan, had forged evidence against Mayawati.

The SP had released two video CDs that month showing Mayawati directing her party MPs and MLAs to donate part of their constituency development fund to the party coffers.

The high court had stayed the arrest of the SP leaders. The matter would come up for hearing on August 25. Bureau Report