'No special privilege for Pappu Yadav in jail'

{image-pappu yadav_12072008.jpg news.oneindia.in}New Delhi, Jul 12: Notorious Rashtriya Janatha DAL (RJD) MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav should not be given any special facilities in jail unless advised by doctors, said the Delhi High Court on Friday, July 11.

Keeping in view the directions of the Supreme Court that no special privileges are to be allowed unless so entitled under law," said a Division Bench of Justice Manmohan Sarin and Justice S L Bhayana. The court directed that the board of doctors, to be nominated by the Delhi government"s health secretary, should examine Yadav. The board would examine the lawmaker every three months, the court added. Meanwhile, the court also gave a clean chit to the jail officials who were alleged to have breached the jail manual and shown undue favour to prisoners, including Yadav.

In May 2005, the high court had taken suo motu cognisance of media reports that Tihar jail officials had violated the rules and provided Yadav with a TV set, cooler and a special bed with mattress in his cell.

Yadav was convicted by a Bihar trial court for the murder of Communist Party of India-Marxist legislator Ajit Sarkar. He was shifted from Beur jail in Bihar by the apex court following a controversy that Yadav was allowed to meet party workers inside the jail during the state election.

OneIndia News