The Supreme Court on Monday cancelled the bail granted to the former Member of Parliament and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader, Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, in the Ajit Sarkar murder case and directed him to surrender forthwith.
A Bench of Justices Markandey Katju and A. K. Patnaik, allowing an application filed by the CBI, also took a serious view of the Patna High Court's order in February 2009 granting bail to Mr. Yadav. The Bench said it would amount to contempt of the Supreme Court order that no court (except the apex court) should entertain his bail application.
When counsel Rakesh Kumar Singh, appearing for Mr. Yadav submitted a letter from Mr. Yadav, requesting that Justice Katju should not hear this matter, Additional Solicitor-General Harin Raval and counsel V.K. Biju, appearing for the CBI, told the Bench that on this ground alone the bail should be cancelled.
‘Matter of regret'
Justice Katju said, “It is a matter of regret that despite a clear order passed by this court in 2007 that no bail should be granted by any court, the High Court has granted bail.” He also pulled up counsel for circulating a letter that he (Justice Katju) should not hear the matter. Annoyed at the letter, Justice Katju told counsel, “Are you an advocate? What type of letter you have circulated? We will initiate contempt proceedings against you.”
According to the CBI, Mr. Yadav was accused of killing three persons in 1998. It pointed out that despite the Supreme Court's 2007 direction that no bail application should be entertained, the Patna High Court had granted bail. It prayed for cancellation of the bail granted to Mr. Yadav, who is convicted and sentenced to life in the case.
