New Delhi:
The Supreme Court has cancelled the bail of former RJD MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav in the murder of a CPM MLA and slammed the Patna High Court for "committing contempt" by violating its order against his release.
While cancelling the bail, the apex court directed "forthwith surrender" of Yadav.
The apex court also threatened to initiate contempt proceedings against his counsel Rakesh Kumar Singh for seeking recusal of Justice Markandeya Katju from the bench.
The bench comprising Justices Markandeya Katju and A K Patnaik was furious with the Patna High Court granting bail to Yadav despite its 2007 direction that no bail should be granted to him by any court in the country.
The apex court got angry when Yadav's counsel circulated a letter seeking recusal of Justice Katju from the bench.
"Are you an advocate? What type of letter you have circulated? We will initiate contempt proceedings against you," Justice Katju said while quashing the bail and directing Yadav's forthwith surrender.
Yadav in his letter had urged Justice Katju to recuse by citing the rejection of his bail in November 2006 by the same judge and also his refusal to concede his plea for transfer from Tihar to Beur Jail.
Incidentally, on March 26 Justice Asok Kumar Ganguly had recused himself from hearing the case, following which the matter was referred to the bench headed by Justice Katju.
The CBI had, on March 26, approached the apex court challenging the Patna High Court's February 18, 2009, order granting bail to the 43-year-old RJD leader undergoing life imprisonment in the murder case.
"It is a matter of regret that despite clear order passed by this court in November, 2006, that no bail should be granted by any court, the High Court has gone ahead and granted bail," the bench said while allowing CBI's appeal plea for bail cancellation.
Earlier, Additional Solicitor General Haren Raval and CBI counsel V K Biju complained that the High Court granted bail to the RJD leader without passing any reasoned order after initially rejecting his two bail applications.
Special CBI judge B M Srivastava had on February 14,2008, pronounced Yadav, former independent MLA Rajan Tiwari and Anil Yadav guilty of the murder of CPI(M) MLA Ajit Kumar Sarkar and awarded them jail terms for life.
Sarkar, who had a running feud with Pappu Yadav over issues relating to farm labourers, along with his driver Harendra Sharma and party worker Ashfaqur Rehman, was gunned down at Subhas Nagar in Purnea town on June 14, 1998.
While cancelling the bail, the apex court directed "forthwith surrender" of Yadav.
The apex court also threatened to initiate contempt proceedings against his counsel Rakesh Kumar Singh for seeking recusal of Justice Markandeya Katju from the bench.
The bench comprising Justices Markandeya Katju and A K Patnaik was furious with the Patna High Court granting bail to Yadav despite its 2007 direction that no bail should be granted to him by any court in the country.
The apex court got angry when Yadav's counsel circulated a letter seeking recusal of Justice Katju from the bench.
"Are you an advocate? What type of letter you have circulated? We will initiate contempt proceedings against you," Justice Katju said while quashing the bail and directing Yadav's forthwith surrender.
Yadav in his letter had urged Justice Katju to recuse by citing the rejection of his bail in November 2006 by the same judge and also his refusal to concede his plea for transfer from Tihar to Beur Jail.
Incidentally, on March 26 Justice Asok Kumar Ganguly had recused himself from hearing the case, following which the matter was referred to the bench headed by Justice Katju.
The CBI had, on March 26, approached the apex court challenging the Patna High Court's February 18, 2009, order granting bail to the 43-year-old RJD leader undergoing life imprisonment in the murder case.
"It is a matter of regret that despite clear order passed by this court in November, 2006, that no bail should be granted by any court, the High Court has gone ahead and granted bail," the bench said while allowing CBI's appeal plea for bail cancellation.
Earlier, Additional Solicitor General Haren Raval and CBI counsel V K Biju complained that the High Court granted bail to the RJD leader without passing any reasoned order after initially rejecting his two bail applications.
Special CBI judge B M Srivastava had on February 14,2008, pronounced Yadav, former independent MLA Rajan Tiwari and Anil Yadav guilty of the murder of CPI(M) MLA Ajit Kumar Sarkar and awarded them jail terms for life.
Sarkar, who had a running feud with Pappu Yadav over issues relating to farm labourers, along with his driver Harendra Sharma and party worker Ashfaqur Rehman, was gunned down at Subhas Nagar in Purnea town on June 14, 1998.
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