The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the bail of suspended Rashtriya Janata Dal MLA Raj Ballabh Yadav, who is accused of raping a 15-year-old girl in Bihar. The state government had moved the apex court after the Patna High Court had released him on bail on September 30.
During the hearing, Yadav’s counsel tried to assure the court that the legislator would not stay in Bihar during the trials if his bail was confirmed, reported NDTV. The promise came after the rape survivor had expressed fear for her life soon after Yadav got bail. She reportedly sent messages to journalists, hoping to reach out to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. “He [Yadav] is out of jail...I am scared and afraid for my family. What will happen to them? I am already dead after what happened to me. I have nothing more to lose,” she had written.
The minor had told the police that Yadav had raped her in his house on February 6, after she was taken there by her neighbour and two other women. The Nawada MLA had been absconding for a month after the girl’s father had filed a case on February 9. The RJD had suspended Yadav from the party on February 14, while the police had seized his property. On February 20, a Bihar court had denied Yadav anticipatory bail in the case, and 13 of his bank accounts had also been frozen. Yadav had surrendered at the Bihar Sharif court on March 10.
Earlier this year, gangster-turned-politician and murder accused Mohammad Shahbuddin had been given bail. The Nitish Kumar government had challenged Shahabuddin’s bail in the Supreme Court, which subsequently ordered him back to jail. The RJD is an alliance partner of the Janata Dal (United) in the state. Opposition leaders had accused the Nitish Kumar government of facilitating the release of both Yadav and Shahbuddin.
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