The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to former RJD MP Rajesh Ranjan, alias Pappu Yadav, on an appeal filed by CBI challenging his acquittal in CPI(M) leader Ajit Sarkar murder case.
A bench of Justices BS Chauhan and SA Bobde granted four weeks time to the former MP to file his response on CBI’s appeal. The agency found fault with the Patna High Court decision on May 17, 2013 that acquitted him in total disregard of statements by key witnesses and the call records produced as evidence.
Yadav was accused of murdering CPI(M) MlC and trade union leader Ajit Sarkar on June 14, 1998. The CBI which investigated the high profile murder concluded that Sarkar was shot dead by unidentified persons in Bihar’s Purnia district at the behest of Yadav.
Along with Yadav, HC acquitted two other persons —Rajan Tiwari and Anil Kumar Yadav — in connection with the killing.
The trial court which convicted all three had sentenced them to life imprisonment in 2008.
Yadav, had won elections to lok Sabha for four successive tenures since 1991 but was debarred from contesting the 2009 general elections on being convicted in the present case.