Patna: The Patna High Court today (Apr 23, 2004) took serious note of many accused including RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) nominee from Siwan Mohammad Shahabuddin running their Lok Sabha campaign from hospital while in judicial custody and directed the Government to transfer them to prison.

Observing that jails were the right place for criminals who should have no role in politics, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Ravi S Dhavan and Justice Shashank Kumar Singh directed the State Government to submit an action-taken report on this on Monday.

The Court was hearing a PIL (public interest litigation) by Janata Dal (U) candidate from Siwan Om Prakash Yadav who said in his petition that his RJD rival was currently 'resting in Siwan Sadar hospital in judicial custody' and even venturing out at times to run a full-fledged election campaign.

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Shahabuddin is currently in jail in connection with the kidnapping and suspected murder of a CPI-ML (Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist) activist Munna Chaudhary.

Besides Shahabuddin, many other accused including Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) General Secretary Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, MLA and Independent candidate from Bettiah Rajan Tiwari and outlawed Ranvir Sena chief Brahmeshwar Singh are in the fray in Bihar.

Another PIL filed by NGO 'Peoples Watch' two days ago had challenged the candidature of all currently in jails and whose voting rights were suspended under the People's Representation Act, 1951.

The same Bench had issued notices to the Election Commission, Union and State Governments on the PIL.