Gaya, June 04: A district court here today rejected the bail application of former Bihar minister Surendra Yadav, jailed in connection with the abduction of a businessman and illegal confinement of some policemen. District and sessions judge Jawahar Lal Chaudhary rejected the bail plea of Yadav, a former minister for excise and probhibition, after a brief hearing. Yadav's counsel Dhirendra Kumar Sinha had pleaded that there was no direct evidence against his client in the abduction and torture of Patna-based businessman Atul Prakash. Atul in his confessional statement before a judicial magistrate had also not named Yadav, he argued. Yadav is presently lodged in Gaya central jail after he surrendered before the CJM (Incharge) Ravindra Prasad Thakur on May 30 who after rejecting his bail petition remanded him to 14 days judicial custody.

Besides Yadav, an RJD MLC Azad Gandhi and Pappu Yadav, brother-in-law of Chief Minister Rabri Devi's brother and another RJD MLC, Subhas Yadav, were also allegedly involved in the case.

The incident came to light when the sub-inspector of Kotwal police station in the state capital Ramakant Ram, now in jail for alleged involvement in Atul's kidnapping and illegal confinement, managed to reach the then Gaya Police Superintendent Ravindra Shanakaran on April eight and narrated the entire story. An FIR was registered with Rampur police station against Yadav, Gandhi and Pappu Yadav. Bureau Report