Supreme Court cancels bail of rape accused RJD MLA

The Supreme Court on Thursday cancelled the bail granted by the Patna High Court to RJD legislaor Rajballav Yadav, who has been accused of raping a minor girl, and ordered to keep him behind bars.

After the bench's query "Has he been released?" was answered in "No", the bench of Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre said: "Let him remain in jail."

The court on November 8 had ordered the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) legislator to surrender for two weeks, so that the victim girl could record her statement before the trial court.

The apex court's order cancelling Rajballav's bail came as it allowed the Bihar government's appeal against the grant of bail to him by the Patna High Court on September 30.

Yadav was named as one of the five accused in the chargesheet filed in April.

Rajballav -- the RJD lawmaker elected from Nawada assembly consitutency -- has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POSCO) for raping a minor school-going girl at his residence in Bihar Sharif.

He was suspended from the RJD after allegations became public, but he continues to be a party member in the state assembly.

Rajballav, who was denied anticipatory bail by a local court in Bihar Sharif in February, was on the run but later surrendered in the court.

Besides Rajballav, a woman named Sulekha Devi and those accused of providing women to the RJD lawmaker were named as the accused in the case.

--IANS

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