Jailed JVM principal general secretary and Podaiyahaat legislator Pradeep Yadav has been denied the court’s permission to attend the Monsoon Session of Assembly commencing Tuesday. However, BJP legislator from Jharia Sanjeev Singh, who is accused of murdering his cousin, can make his presence felt in the House.
The court of Principal District and Sessions judge of Dumka, rejecting the petition filed by the JVM member, has underlined the “difficulties” behind ferrying him back and forth from Dumka to Ranchi and also observed that the court “does not find anything on record which could suggest that Monsoon Session of Assembly cannot be held in his absence”.
The JVM has dubbed the order as ‘absurd’ and has approached the High Court. “This is clearly a case of political vendetta and interventions in functioning of institutions. How can Sanjeev Singh, a murder accused under Section 302, be permitted to attend the Assembly and a political activist booked under Section 353 cannotIJ We have approached the High Court seeking the permission,” said JVM secretary Santosh Kumar.
However, the matter could not be taken up on Monday and the MlA would have to wait for Tuesday for the HC intervention of any kind. Yadav currently languishing in the Central Jail of Dumka for staging protests against a power project coming up over there for last over four months.
Though he was granted permission to vote in the recently concluded presidential election and had attended the House on previous occasions from jail but this time he may be deprived of this. The Monsoon Session is going to commence on August 8 and would continue till August 12.
“In normal cases a person in prison is shifted to the local jail; in this case it can be Ranchi, during the period when the House is in session. There is no logic that he would have to be transported daily from Dumka jail to the Assembly if the permission is granted. This is a complete political witch hunt on the directions of the Government,” said a senior party functionary commenting on the public pleader opposing the demand before the court.
Besides Pradeep Yadav and Sanjeev Singh, another member of the House and Kolebira legislator Anosh Ekka is also behind the bars. “He has not sought permission to attend the Session since he has been admitted to AIIMS in Delhi at present for better treatment. He has developed serious cardiac problem,” said a close aide of Ekka who is also a murder accused.