Friday, January 20 2006 15:34 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: A day after controversial Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Mohammad Shahabuddin got bail in a case of violation of theArms Act, a Patna High court judge today (Jan 20,2006)ordered the shifting of his bail petition in another case to a separate bench.

Justice Chandra Mohan Prasad ordered that his bail petition in a case relating to the recovery of unaccounted foreign currency, a telescopic rifle and a night vision device during a raid on his residence at Pratappur in Siwan district be heard by a separate bench.

Justice Prasad passed the order after hearing brief arguments by the MP's counsel Y V Giri and government advocate S Dayal.

Giri argued that there was no merit in the case and pleaded before the bench to call for yesterday's order of another bench relating to a case of the Arms Act which was lodged following the same raid on April 24 last in which the MP had got bail yesterday(Jan 19,2006).

Government advocate S Dayal opposed the bail, arguing that the RJD MP had a criminal background and there was sufficient evidence to prove his culpability in the case.

Despite getting bail in the case under the Arms Act, Shahabuddin, the fourth term MP from Siwan, currently lodged in a Bhagalpur jail, will have to secure bail in five other cases to be a free bird.

He was chargesheeted in six cases including the one of sedition and the instant case.