Jharkhand MLA Pradeep Yadav surrenders in sexual harassment case, sent to jail

Source: hindustantimes.com

Pradeep Yadav, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) MLA from Poraiyahat, surrendered before the Deoghar court on Thursday, in connection with a sexual harassment case. A former party spokesperson had accused the five-term MLA of attempt to rape, at a Deoghar hotel on April 20 this year.

The court of Deoghar sub-divisional judicial magistrate Kamal Ranjan on Thursday rejected Yadav’s bail plea and forwarded him to judicial custody for 15 days.

Yadav, who had unsuccessfully contested the recently held Lok Sabha elections from Godda parliamentary seat as the opposition grand alliance’s candidate, was charged with attempt to rape a former JVM(P) spokesperson.

The complainant had lodged an FIR against Yadav at the Women’s police station in Deoghar.

According to the complaint, the former party spokesperson had gone to attend a public meeting organised by the Grand Alliance at Mohanpur in Deoghar on April 20. After completion of the event, Yadav called her to a hotel in Karnibagh area for a meeting.

She alleged that Yadav tried to rape her in the hotel room. When she raised an alarm, Yadav left the hotel, taking her purse which contained Rs 2 lakh in cash and some jewellery.

On Thursday, Yadav reached court around 2 pm along with his lawyer, who moved the bail petition along with surrender note but the court rejected it. Yadav was subsequently sent to the Deoghar jail following the court order.

Yadav’s surrender comes after the Jharkhand high court rejected his anticipatory bail petition earlier this month. Prior to that, his anticipatory bail petition was rejected by court of additional district and sessions judge in Deoghar on June 18.

Amar Singh, Yadav’s advocate, said, “We had filed for the bail with a surrender note but the court rejected it. Now we would move appropriate court for securing bail.”

Yadav, who also was the chief general secretary of the party, had to resign from the post following the sexual harassment allegation, after party president Babulal Marandi asked him to step down.