Karim reads The Telegraph report on him in Thursday’s edition at the Islampur correctional home. (Mehedi Hedaytullah)

Islampur, March 10: Either the swarms of mosquitoes or supporters or both drove Chowdhury Abdul Karim to seek bail this morning but the court would have none of it.

The former MLA who had yesterday portrayed himself as a public do-gooder for blocking a train in 2009 and defiantly turned down the court’s option of bail relented this morning after spending the night “tossing and turning” on a mat in a correctional home in Islampur in north Bengal.

Karim, an eight-time MLA who shared a cell with 29 other inmates, allowed himself to be persuaded by a group of supporters to move court for bail.

Around 10 in the morning, nearly 200 Trinamul Congress supporters and party leaders from across North Dinajpur gathered in front of the jail. Four leaders were allowed into the jailer’s office where they met Karim and requested him to move the bail plea.

“We have requested Karim saheb to allow his lawyer to move a bail plea as the elections are near and we, his supporters and family members, are also concerned about the hardship he would face in jail. Also, the state leadership wanted him to appeal for bail. He finally agreed,” said Asim Ghosh, the district Trinamul president.

In the afternoon, lawyer Firoz Ahmed moved the bail petition before additional chief judicial magistrate Manoj Kumar Rai who rejected the appeal. “One day’s detention is not sufficient to release the accused in this case,” the written order said.

Karim had been sent to judicial custody till March 23 yesterday.

Lawyers representing Karim said that what probably went against him was the fact that the former MLA had openly flouted the magistrate’s advice yesterday that he move bail if he did not want to be sent to jail.

Besides, Karim had evaded arrest for many days after the warrant was issued against him.

By Karim’s own admission, the mosquitoes are a real menace. “There was a mosquito coil in the room but it did not work well. I fell asleep after 1.30am and tossed and turned,” a visitor quoted Karim as telling him. Mosquito nets are not permitted in jails.

The former MLA’s younger brother, Kaiser Chowdhury, said friends and relatives had been calling him and their home in the Melar Math area of the town, about 2km from the jail, since morning.

“We tried to send him some home-cooked food today but it was not allowed. My brother told me when I met him inside that they had served him chappatis and dal tarka last night,” Kaiser said.

Karim’s supporters were disappointed at the turn of events today but they have pledged to renew their effort on Monday. “We are not disheartened. We will file another bail plea on Monday,” Ghosh said.