Former minister Yogendra Sao arrives at a Hazaribagh court on Thursday. Picture by Vishvendu Jaipuriar

Hazaribagh, Oct. 9: Former agriculture minister and Congress MLA Yogendra Sao was sent to 14-day judicial custody today by a local court in a case related to his involvement with extortion gangs, prompting his son Sumit to step up offensive against the Hazaribagh SP for “falsely implicating” his father.

The court of first-class judicial magistrate Garima Mishra will take up the case of Sao, as well as seven accused — two brothers Dhirendra and Pawan, and five alleged actively involved in Jharkhand Tiger in Rajkumar Gupta, Ramchandra Sao, Prakash Sao, Nakul Sao and Sandeep Sao — on October 22.

Except Gupta, who first made the allegations against Sao in early September, and who was whisked away by the police quickly, Sao and the others made a dramatic exit from court, claiming innocence.

“Barkagaon ki janta mere bare mein achche se janti hai aur wo iska jawab vote se degi (The people of my constituency in Barkagaon know me well and will give e befitting reply through votes),” thundered Sao from the prisoners van before leaving for central jail.

All the other accused, except Gupta who was herded off early, claimed they had spoken of Sao’s involvement as the police forced them to during their interrogation.

Sao’s lawyer Kishore Mohan Prasad filed two petitions, one for his bail and other for permission for his better treatment. Flogging the issue of Sao’s ill health, Prasad told the court that the former minister had been under treatment at RIMS in Ranchi but on the very day he was to undergo pathological tests, he was brought to Hazaribagh.

However, Sao’s son Sumit and wife Nirmala, launched the biggest damage-control offensive.

Attacking Hazaribagh SP Manoj Kaushik of targeting Sao for personal vendetta, Sumit showed mediapersons a “confidential report” dated April 22, 2013, claimed to be written by then IG (coal belt) Murari Lal Meena to state DGP Rajeev Kumar, which suggested the local policeman’s involvement in coal smuggling.

“My father was targeted as he refused to stop his campaign against Kaushik,” Sumit said.

He added: “If my father resigned as minister (on September 12) on moral ground, why is Kaushik still continuing in his job? We don’t want his transfer now. We want his suspension.”

“We (family members and supporters) will sit in front of the chief minister’s house in Ranchi on a fast-unto-death till our demands of better treatment for my father, an impartial probe in the case and punitive action against Kaushik are met,” the son added.

Meena, now posted inspector general (operations) at state police headquarters, Ranchi, when asked, did not deny the existence of a report on illegal coal trade, but at the same time, did not confirm any date or name.

“I had submitted a report to the DGP but I cannot exactly remember and reveal the contents of the findings,” he said, adding he was not supposed to share any confidential report with the media.

However, police headquarter sources maintained that Meena’s report did mention the Hazaribagh SP Manoj Kaushik’s involvement or patronage in illegal coal business, besides other high-ups.

“There was a tussle among police, politicians and the coal mafia to get the maximum out of illegal smuggling. Police or politician, no one can be given a clean chit,” said a senior policeman.

In his stint as acting chief secretary, Sajal Chakraborty ordered a detailed probe into illegal coal business.