PATNA
Former Madhepura MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav started a hunger strike on Wednesday, alleging lack of hygiene and drinking water in Supaul jail where he was brought late Tuesday night in connection with a 32-year-old kidnapping case following his arrest in Patna earlier in the day for alleged violation of Covid-19 lockdown norms.
Late Tuesday night, Yadav was sent to 14-day judicial custody by a Madhepura court, which also cancelled his bail bond in a case of kidnapping of one Rajkumar Yadav in 1989.
Yadav alleged there was no clean drinking water and complained of unhygienic conditions in the prison toilet and washroom. He also tweeted on Wednesday morning that jail authorities were not providing him with proper medical treatment for an old wound in one of his legs.
Tuesday night, Yadav had pleaded before the Madhepura court to send him to sadar hospital on medical grounds. He also cited his petition pending before the Patna High Court, challenging the non-bailable warrant issued against him in the kidnapping case. However, the court did not oblige.
Yadav, who heads Jan Adhikar Party (Loktantrik), was arrested in Patna on Tuesday morning for violation of lockdown guidelines but given bail hours later at Pirbahore police station.
{{/usCountry}}Yadav, who heads Jan Adhikar Party (Loktantrik), was arrested in Patna on Tuesday morning for violation of lockdown guidelines but given bail hours later at Pirbahore police station.
{{/usCountry}}His wife Ranjit Ranjan, a former Congress MP from Supaul, said she “feared” for her husband’s life and alleged a “big conspiracy” behind his arrest. She said she would hold the state government led by chief minister Nitish Kumar responsible if anything untoward happened to Yadav in custody.