Patna, May 8 (IANS): The Sasaram district court on Monday refused bail to former BJP MLA Jawahar Prasad in connection with the communal violence in the district on Ram Navami.

Prasad was arrested by the police on April 29 following which he was remanded to judicial custody. His lawyer had filed a plea for bail in the court of chief judicial magistrate.

The prosecution lawyer urged the court to add IPC Section 302 in the case against Jawahar Prasad and other accused persons, who were allegedly involved in the communal violence during a Ram Navami procession on March 31. Subsequently, the court oredered to include IPC Section 302 in the FIR.

"As murder is a non-bailable offence, the court has refused to grant bail to Jawahar Prasad," said Nagendra Pandey, the rosecution lawyer.

Earlier, the court had granted bail to a number of people who were allegedly involved in the Ram Navami violence. All of them have now been asked to surrender before the court as their bail stands cancelled following the inclusion of Section 302 in the FIR.

Prasad can now approach the Patna High Court and seek bail.