Controversial RJD MP Mohammed Shahabuddin failed to appear before a special court inside Siwan jail, where he is being held, for the second consecutive day on Friday on grounds of "ill health".
As the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate BB Gupta sat in a special building within the prison designated as a court to start the trial in four of nearly 40 cases pending against Shahabuddin, the MP's counsel Abhay Kumar Rajan informed the court that he was unwell and pleaded for postponing the hearing to a future date.
The court was scheduled to begin proceedings against the Siwan MP in connection with four cases registered under the Arms Act and for the recovery of deer skin from his Parappur house last year.
Gupta accepted Rajan's plea and posted the hearing of the four cases to June 20.
Friday was the second consecutive day that Shahabuddin did not appear before the special court set up inside Siwan jail. On Thursday, he did not appear in the same court in connection with six cases on account of bad health. The judge had then postponed the hearing of these six cases for June 17.
The Bihar government decided earlier this month to set up two special courts inside the jail for speedy trial of cases against him amid opposition from the RJD and Congress, which accused the authorities of neglecting Shahabuddin's health.
{{/usCountry}}The Bihar government decided earlier this month to set up two special courts inside the jail for speedy trial of cases against him amid opposition from the RJD and Congress, which accused the authorities of neglecting Shahabuddin's health.
{{/usCountry}}The law department had issued a notification for setting up the two courts inside the jail.