Shibu still in jail; Produced before court for another murder case

Dumka/Giridih, Aug 24 (UNI) Despite his acquittal by the Delhi High Court in the Shashinath Jha muder case on wednesday, Shibu Soren in Dumka Central jail on technical grounds even as the beleaguered Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief was produced in a local court at Giridih in connection with three-decade-old Kurku murder case today.

Soren's lawyer R K Anand from New Delhi yesterday rushed to the jail where the former Coal Minister was lodged and later told reporters that his release could be possible only after necessary documents from the Jamtara court reaches the Dumka jail authority.

Speculations were rife about Soren's release today but it did not happen as the papers were not received by the authorities till this afternoon.

A close Soren aide this evening said the papers from Tihar jail and Jamtara court were expected to reach Dumka tomorrow and in all probabilty 'Guruji' would be freed then.

Earlier today, Soren was taken to Giridih where he was produced before first Additional and Session Judge Radha Mohan Tiwary in connection with Kurku murder case in 1974 in which three people were killed. Soren and many others were accused in the incident.

However, as witnesses failed to appear today, the court fixed September 26 for the next hearing of the case.

Meanwhile, supporters of the JMM chief kept waiting to have glimpse of their leader outside the Dumka jail.

Among the prominent pusonalities who visited Soren in the jail were HRD Minister Bandhu Tirkey and Health Minister Bhanu Pratap Shahi besides many MLAs.

Mr Soren, life facing term imprisonment for killing his personal assistant, was shifted to Dumka Central on Janauary 5 after a production warrant was issued by a local Jamtara court.

UNI