Bihar legislator granted bail

The Patna High Court on Monday granted bail to JD-U legislator Manorama Devi, who was arrested after liquor bottles were recovered from her residence in now liquor-free Bihar.

Justice A. Amanullah granted Manorama Devi bail on the ground that mere possession of foreign liquor was not unlawful as per the new state excise law, her lawyer Y.Y. Giri said.

Manorama Devi, a Bihar legislative council member (MLC), filed a bail plea last week after her bail petition was rejected twice by the Gaya district court in May.

She evaded arrest for several days before surrendering on May 17 in the Gaya court which remanded her in 14-day judicial custody.

She is currently lodged in the Gaya Central Jail along with her son Rocky Yadav, who allegedly shot dead student Aditya Sachdeva on May 7 for overtaking his vehicle, and her husband Bindi Yadav, a well known criminal-politician who is also accused of helping Rocky avoid arrest after the murder.

Following a public outcry over Aditya's murder, the JD-U suspended Manorama Devi's membership of the party.

The couple's arms licences have also been cancelled.

--IANS

ik/ksk/dg