In a setback for RJD MP Pappu Yadav, the Patna High Court on Thursday rejected his petition seeking suspension of conviction in CPI (ML) leader Ajit Sarkar murder case to enable him to contest the Lok Sabha polls.
A division bench comprising Justices Shiva Kirti Singh and Dharnidhar Jha, which had earlier reserved its order on March 26, disallowed him from contesting elections as he had been convicted in the Sarakar murder case.
Senior Supreme Court advocate R K Anand along with Majid Memon, appearing for Pappu Yadav, had contended that the RJD MP had been convicted in Sarkar murder case on the basis of retracted confessional statement of Rajan Tiwari, a co-accused, which is not admissible under the law.
Citing an apex court judgement in cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu's case, Anand had said that if the conviction was not stayed by the court, the RJD MP would face irreparable loss as a politician in the event of his getting acquitted by the court at a later stage.
Opposing Pappu's submissions, CBI counsel Bipin Kumar Sinha and informant counsel Vindhyachal Singh contended that Yadav's case could not be equated with that of the cricketer's case.
A special CBI court had on February 14, 2008, sentenced Pappu Yadav, Rajan Tiwari and Anil Yadav to life imprisonment in the Ajit Sarkar murder case.
Pappu had moved the Patna High Court against the verdict and got bail in January this year.
RJD has yet to declare the name of its candidate from Madhepura as the HC's order on his petition was awaited.
It is believed that RJD chief Lalu Prasad will put up a candidate of Pappu's choice in Madhepura.
Pappu's wife Ranjita Ranjan is seeking re-election from adjoining Supaul parliamentary constituency on a ticket from Ramvilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party.
The court had last week refused to stay suspension of conviction of controversial RJD MP from Siwan Mohammed Shahabuddin in a kidnap-cum-suspected murder case of a CPI-ML (Liberation) activist. The court's order debarred Shahabuddin from contesting the elections.
RJD has fielded Shahabuddin's wife Hina Shahab from Siwan Lok Sabha constituency going to poll in the first phase on April 16.
