Former Jharkhand agriculture minister Yogendra Sao, accused of patronizing two extremist groups, was sent to Jai Prakash Narayan Central Jail on one-day judicial custody by a Hazaribagh.
Sao who was absconding after a non-bailable warrant was issued against him by a court in this connection several weeks ago, was today produced in the court of Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate Garima Mishra which forwarded him to judicial custody.
The former Agriculture minister of Jharkhand was arrested by a team in New Delhi on September 4 and produced before a local court of National Capital on September 5.
Then he was brought to Ranchi after the team obtained three-day transit remand.
Sao was accused of patronising a maoist ultra group named Jharkhand Tiger which was indulged in extorting money from the contractors and builder in Hazaribagh area.
The supremo of the group Rajkumar Gupta nabbed by the Hazaribagh police also charged the former minister with providing funds for expansion of the group.
With Sao in jail the Jharkhand police have launched a special operation to nab his close aide Panna Lal Mahato on charges of trafficking from New Delhi.
Mahto, from whose Delhi residence former Jharkhand agriculture minister Yogendra Sao was arrested on Saturday evening is a prime accused of human trafficking in four FIRs lodged with Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) in Khunti.
Additional Director General of Police CID, SN Pradhan said, “A team of the Jharkhand police will go to New Delhi to arrest Mahato.” He added that the CID will also start fresh investigation in Sao links the human trafficking accused.
