likely to be produced in court today
Sacked former Minister Yogendra Sao has been finally sarrested in Delhi by a joint team of the police and the Crime Investigation Department (CID). The Congress MlA was on the run since a warrant was issued but fell into police trap late on Saturday night at Shakur Pur area in North-West Delhi.
He was brought to Ranchi on Sunday evening after a three-day transit remand was granted by the Rohini court in Delhi earlier in the day. Sao was evading arrest since his name cropped up for allegedly floating and harbouring extortionist organisations Jharkhand Tigers Group and Jharkhand Bachao Andolan.
“A team of CID and police arrested Sao with the help of Delhi police. Since, he was a sitting MlA, the Speaker (of Jharkhand Assembly) has been informed about the arrest by the district police and CID,” confirmed IG (Provision) and spokesperson of Jharkhand police, Anurag Gupta.
The disgraced leader who represents Barkagoan in the Assembly was hiding in the house of Panna lal Mahto at 662-63, M-Block, JJ Colony, Shakur Pur under Subhash Palace PS in Delhi. He is expected to be produced in the court in Hazaribagh on Monday.
“He will be produced in the concerned court. The court could either send him on remand if CID asks for or else he will be sent in judicial custody,” said advocate of Jharkhand High Court Rajiv Kumar.
The controversial Minister has been in the eye of a storm for his alleged involvement in cases of extortion and threatening officials of a PSU in Hazaribagh and did not appear for interrogation forcing the police to seek intervention of a court in Hazaribagh after chief of one of the organisations Raj Kumar Gupta named him. On September 16, the court of Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate of Hazaribagh had issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Sao and his brothers — Dhirendra Sao and Pawan Sao — and Sao had to relinquish his Cabinet berth. The former Agriculture Minister was on the run since then.
Sao was wanted in connection with a case registered under Giddi PS in Hazaribagh which named the Barkagoan MlA as the person behind floating, funding and harbouring members of JTG.
Sao’s name surfaced during the interrogation of the head of JTG Rajkumar Gupta who was arrested by Hazaribagh police alogwith two other associates —Sandeep Sao and Nakul Sao. The case was registered on September 1. “Whatever action has been taken is based on the confessional statement of Rajkumar Gupta,” added the spokesperson of Jharkhand police.