Patna, July 27: Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) president Tej Pratap Yadav on Monday filed a bail application before a Patna court in connection with the violence that erupted during the Bihar bandh on July 25.Yadav, who is currently lodged in Beur Central Jail under 14-day judicial custody, submitted the plea through his counsel before the court of the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM).
The defence questioned the police investigation and the legal basis of the charges filed against him. His lawyer argued that several serious offences had been included in the case without sufficient evidence and alleged that due legal procedure was not followed during his arrest.
The counsel also objected to the inclusion of the charge of attempt to murder under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), claiming there was no material linking Yadav to such an offence. She further argued that multiple sections had been invoked without direct evidence connecting him to the alleged acts of violence.
The defence also raised concerns over the sequence of events leading to Yadav’s arrest. According to the lawyer, he was taken into custody on the evening of July 25, while the First Information Report (FIR) in the case was registered later that night.
The defence contended that the timeline raises questions about whether proper legal procedures were followed.Rejecting allegations that Yadav provoked the protesters, his counsel said he was passing through the area when some students requested him to stop.
She maintained that he briefly stepped out of his vehicle, waved the national flag and left the spot without delivering any speech or encouraging violence.
The defence also urged the court to consider Yadav’s health while deciding the bail plea. According to his lawyer, he suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure and later complained of chest pain after being shifted to Beur Central Jail. He is currently under medical observation.
Police have booked Yadav on charges related to rioting, assaulting police personnel, damaging government property, obstructing public servants from performing their duties and causing injuries to the officer in charge of Gandhi Maidan Police Station during the Bihar bandh violence.
The court is expected to hear the matter before deciding on the bail application, while the investigation into the case continues.
