Ex-minister Sao surrenders at Ranchi court, sent to jail

Ranchi: Former state minister Yogendra Sao of Congress surrendered before a Ranchi court on the direction of Supreme Court, which had cancelled his conditional bail on Monday. The court of additional judicial commissioner S S Prasad rejected Sao’s bail petition after his surrender and sent him to judicial custody.
Sao is an accused in a case registered at Barkagaon police station in Hazaribag district for his alleged involvement in an agitation against a National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) project in October 2016. The Supreme Court had earlier granted him conditional bail. The SC, however, cancelled his bail on grounds that he has violated the bail conditions.

Sao’s daughter and lawyer Amba Prasad, who was present during the his surrender, said, “During an appeal against the cancellation of the bail, the Supreme Court has given us the liberty to appeal in the high court.” Meanwhile, 18 cases registered against Sao in Hazaribag have now been transferred to the Ranchi civil court for trial.

Talking to media persons at Ranchi court, Sao accused the BJP government of implicating him in a false case. He added that BJP conspired to stop him from fighting the parliamentary elections from Hazaribag. He also hinted that his daughter would join politics and also contest elections.