SC refuses bail to Pappu Yadav for 4th time

New Delhi, Nov 16: In a major setback to RJD MP Rajesh Ranjan Yadav, alias Pappu Yadav, the Supreme Court today dismissed for the fourth time, his plea for bail in CPM leader Ajit Sarkar murder case in which he is the prime accused.

A bench comprising Justice S B Sinha and Justice Markandey Katju dismissed the bail plea and also directed that no further application for bail would be considered in this case by any court, as already a large number of bail applications have been rejected earlier both by the High court and the Supreme Court.

Pappu Yadav has approached the Apex court against a Patna high court order which had dismissed his bail plea.

Yadav who is currently lodged in Tihar Central jail was earlier in the Gerur Central jail at Patna. He was shifted to Tihar Central jail by the Supreme Court for constantly violating the jail manual by his illegal activities.

The court said the mere fact that the accused has undergone a long period of incarceration by itself, would not entitle him to be enlarged on bail.

''On the facts and cicumstances of the case , we found no merit in this appeal. The appeal is accordingly dismissed,'' the judges observed.

While dismissing the appeal the court directed the trial court to ensure that the defence witnesses were examined on a day-to-day basis in accordance with a fixed time schedule so that the trial was completed as expeditiously as possible and the judgement was delivered soon thereafter.

UNI