Patna: In a small consolation for jailed RJD MP from Siwan Mohammed Shahabuddin, the Patna High Court today granted him bail in a case of violation of Wildlife Protection Act.

Justice D D Jha accepted Shahabuddin s prayer for bail in the case that charged him with violation of various provisions of the act following seizure of a live cheetal and deer skin from his residence at Pratappur village in Siwan district in April 2005.

Shahabuddin will, however, have to remain behind the bars as he has been convicted in about half-a-dozen cases, including one in which he has been sentenced to life term for the kidnapping and suspected murder of CPI-ML activist Chotelal Gupta on February 7, 2007.

Pleading for Shahabuddin's bail, his counsel Kanhaiya Prasad Singh said his client deserved to get it since he was lodged in jail in connection with the case for over two years.

Prosecution counsel Shyameshwar Dayal contended that there was no justification for bail as the MP had already been chargesheeted in the case.

The special court of additional district and sessions judge of Siwan G P Shrivastava had awarded life imprisonment to the controversial Lok Sabha member on May 8, 2007.
Source : PTI