Don visits home on jail-to-court trip

The rule of law in Bihar turned into a travesty once again when a jailed criminal and brother of a tainted MLA of the ruling JD(U) was allowed to visit his home while being taken from the jail to a court for an appearance in full police escort. Eight policemen escorting Satish Pandey, who is facing trial in nearly 50 cases including murders and extortion, from a jail in Chapra to the district court in Gopalganj in western Bihar on Wednesday were placed under suspension for dereliction of duty. Pandey is the elder brother of Amarendra Pandey, an influential JD(U) MLA from Kochaikot in Gopalganj district, who was accused in March by a former government official’s wife of masterminding her husband’s abduction and subsequent release upon receiving a ransom of '55 lakh. No action was taken on this public complaint. Satish Pandey’s visit to his home in Mirganj in presence of the escorting police team became known mainly because Saran range DIG Alok Kumar happened to be at the Mirganj police station on an inspection tour. Mr Kumar quickly ordered a probe and took the disciplinary action on the basis of the probe report on Thursday. Sources said Pandey, who faces trial in 18 cases of serious crimes, was brought back to the jail late on Wednesday evening. He has reportedly visited his home a number of times earlier in similar manner.