Daijiworld Media Network - Patna
Patna, Feb 13: Rajesh Ranjan, popularly known as Pappu Yadav, Independent MP from Purnea, received a major legal relief on Friday when the Patna MP-MLA court granted him bail in three remaining pending cases. With this order, he now holds bail in all cases against him, paving the way for his imminent release from Beur Jail, a development that sparked celebrations among his supporters.
Yadav was arrested on February 6 from his Mandiri residence in Patna in connection with a 31-year-old case registered at Gardanibagh police station. His arrest led to protests by his supporters, resulting in a verbal clash with the police, and an additional case was subsequently registered against him. Following his arrest, Yadav’s health reportedly declined, prompting medical attention at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) and later at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) before he was sent to Beur Jail. The court had already granted him bail on February 10 in the decades-old Gardanibagh case.
When produced before the MP-MLA court, Yadav appeared in a wheelchair. The three other cases for which he was in judicial custody included a Kotwali police station case from 2016–17, Kotwali Police Station Case No. 113/19, and Buddha Colony police station Case No. 72/26, the latter related to obstruction of government work during protests following his arrest. Court proceedings faced repeated delays due to bomb threats at Patna Civil Court and the death of a lawyer, but arguments were finally heard on February 13, resulting in bail for the remaining cases.
The bail order was widely welcomed by his supporters, who described it as a triumph of justice and expressed faith in the judiciary. Yadav has been vocal following the death of a NEET aspirant in Patna. He visited Jehanabad multiple times to console the family and demanded strict action against those responsible. Yadav and his supporters have maintained that his arrest was linked to his vocal support for the victim’s family and his calls for justice. The NEET aspirant was found unconscious under mysterious circumstances at Shambhu Girls’ Hostel in Chitragupt Nagar on January 6 and later succumbed to her injuries at a private hospital on January 11. Post-mortem and FSL reports indicated that sexual assault could not be ruled out, intensifying public and political pressure for a thorough investigation.