Friday, February 18 2005 14:03 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Controversial Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Lok Sabha member from Madhepura Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav is likely to be taken to the high-security Tihar jail in New Delhi from Beur in Patna today (Feb 18, 2005), Inspector General of Prisons Dipak Kumar Singh said.

Singh said that he had received a written request from the SSP (Patna) N H Khan seeking to shift the incarcerate MP from Beur to Tihar jail.

"Pappu Yadav is likely to be taken to Tihar from Beur jail in Patna by train by this evening," Singh said.

SSP Khan said that he had received the Supreme Court's order with respect to shifting of the MP to Tihar jail in Delhi following which he made a written request to the IG (Prison) to shift the MP immediately.

"We have also spared security personnel to escort the prisoner to Tihar jail," he said.

Taking a step forward to prevent jails from becoming headquarters of crime, the Supreme Court had on February 14 directed shifting of Yadav from Beur jail at Patna to high-security Tihar jail in Delhi to be lodged in judicial custody in connection with the communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist (CPI-ML) MLA Ajit Sarkar murder case.

Recounting the series of bail and directing him to be lodged in jail, a bench comprising Justice N Santosh Hegde and Justice S B Sinha said a "clear cut case" was made out for shifting of Yadav from Beur to Tihar jail.

Ordering the shifting be done within a week the bench had warned the officials involved in the transferring of the accused from Bihar to Tihar jail not to "extend any special privileges to him and to scrupulously follow the jail manual.