SC lifts order against Pappu Yadav

New Delhi, Apr 27 (UNI) The Supreme Court today lifted the blanket order against RJD MP from Bihar Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav directing that no court will entertain his bail application in the Ajit Sarkar murder case in which the controversial MP is the main accused.

A bench comprising Justices S B Sinha and Markandey Katju modified its earlier order and allowed the petitioner to move a fresh bail application if an occasion so arises, in accordance with the law.

Earlier, senior counsel K T S Tulsi appearing for the petitioner contended before the court that the impugned judgement of this court is violative of Article 21 of the Constitution and the personal liberty of a citizen formed an integral part of the right to life which cannot be taken away through a court's order.

He also contended that the order of this court is liable to be reviewed as the right of the petitioner to seek bail in a criminal case formed part of the constitutional scheme.

The controversial MP is facing trial for the murder of former MLA Ajit Sarkar in broad daylight in Bihar.

The apex court was however not inclined to shift the petitioner from Tihar jail to Madhepura where two more cases are pending against him.

Brushing aside the plea of the petitioner for shifting him to Bihar, the court indicated that it would consider at an appropriate stage whether his evidence can be recorded through video conferencing as has been done in this case earlier.

Pappu Yadav was shifted to Tihar jail in Delhi after he was caught on camera while campaigning for the Bihar assembly elections while on paper he was in jail on the order of the Supreme Court.

UNI