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Pappu picked up for flouting lockdown, packed off to Madhepura in 32-year-old case
PATNA Amid high drama, former Madhepura MP and Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) chief Rajiv Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, one of the most visible faces touring hospitals and helping Covid-19 patients, was arrested by the Patna police on Tuesday morning from his residence in the state capital for alleged violation of lockdown and handed over to Madhepura police in the evening in connection with the 32-year-old kidnapping case
PATNA
Amid high drama, former Madhepura MP and Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) chief Rajiv Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, one of the most visible faces touring hospitals and helping Covid-19 patients, was arrested by the Patna police on Tuesday morning from his residence in the state capital for alleged violation of lockdown and handed over to Madhepura police in the evening in connection with the 32-year-old kidnapping case.
A police team from Madhepura led by Udkishanganj subdivisional police officer Satish Kumar reached Gandhi Maidan police station in Patna and took custody of Pappu Yadav in connection with the kidnapping case in which a Madhepura court had recently issued property attachment order and an arrest warrant against him.
Ranjit Vats, the station house officer (SHO) of Gandhi Maidan police station, confirmed Yadav was handed over to Madhepura police team.
A case was also lodged against Yadav with Pirbahore police station in Patna on a statement by magistrate Ras Bihari Dubey, who alleged that the former MP and his supporters had visited the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) around 7.45am on May 11 and created a “scene”.
SHO of Buddha colony police station in Patna, Kaisar Alam, said Yadav was arrested Tuesday morning and driven in his own SUV to the police station for further investigation.
Yadav, however, claimed his arrest was politically motivated. “They’ll tell you why I have been arrested. I have helped [needy] families for [the last] 1.5 months despite recently [undergoing] an operation. The government and Nitish babu (a reference to chief minister Nitish Kumar) will know what this is. Arrest doesn’t take place for violation of lockdown,” he said while being taken the police station.
Yadav recently accused the BJP MP from Saran, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, of apathy, claiming the 24 ambulances funded by MPLAD (Member of Parliament Local Area Development) scheme lay abandoned in Saran instead of serving Covid-19 patients during the current crisis. One of Rudy’s supporters later filed a complaint against him for “trespassing” and “vandalizing” the ambulances.
Yadav’s activism had drawn praise from many belonging to poor families who credit him for intervening in time to get them admitted to hospitals during the present crisis. While being taken to Madhepura, Yadav said he had been made a scapegoat. “Nitish is working on the instructions of the BJP,” he said.
Meanwhile, political parties, including HAM-S and Vikasheel Insaaf Party (VIP), which is part of the NDA government, criticized the arrest.
“If a public representative is serving the people and he is arrested for that, it is dangerous for humanity. Let there be a thorough probe,” said former CM and HAM-S president Jitan Ram Manjhi.
VIP leader and minister in the state, Mukesh Sahni, called it “insensitiveness” of the government while CPI-ML state secretary Kunal demanded immediate release of the former MP.
“The arrest has exposed the claim of Nitish Kumar government regarding good governance and rule of law,” said Arun Kumar Yadav, an RJD leader from Purnia.
JAP spokesperson Rajesh Yadav said the arrest was anti-democratic and totally illegal.
(With inputs from Aditya Nath Jha in Purnia)
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The curious case
The case of kidnapping dates back to 1989. Yadav has secured bail but failed to follow the order of regular submission in court. On March 22, 2021, the court of additional chief judicial magistrate-1 cancelled his bail and issued property attach warrant against Pappu Yadav for failing to appear in the court.
