Delhi: Riot convict ex-MLA dies in jail of Covid

NEW DELHI: A former MLA who was convicted in a 1984 riots case died of coronavirus at Mandoli Jail late on Saturday.
Mahender Yadav (70) was serving a 10-year sentence for his role during the riots and was denied interim bail by the Supreme Court last week.
Jail officials said he had contracted the virus from the ward in which another elderly prisoner had died earlier. He was admitted to LNJP and later shifted to a private hospital where he died. This is the second Covid-19 death reported from Delhi prisons.
Yadav was an ex-MLA from Palam constituency and was lodged in Jail no.14, Mandoli complex. On June 15, an inmate, Kanwar Singh, had died in his sleep in the same jail. On June 19, result of his Covid-19 test conducted during inquest proceedings came out as positive.
All the 29 inmates, mostly senior citizens, who shared the barrack with Singh were tested and 17 of them were found positive for coronavirus. Those who tested negative were again tested after five days and three more, including Yadav, tested positive.
On June 26, Yadav complained of uneasiness and was referred to LNJP and admitted for treatment. On his family’s request, Yadav was allowed to be shifted to a private hospital in Dwarka on June 30.
On Wednesday, Yadav had moved SC seeking interim bail. “Everything possible is being done for the treatment of the petitioner. The family has no grievance related to the treatment. The application cannot be entertained,” SC had said while dismissing his plea.