Giriraj Singh granted anticipatory bail

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Giriraj Singh on Friday got some relief as a Patna court granted him anticipatory bail for his alleged hate speeches during election campaign.

Patna District and Sessions Judge Birendra Kumar granted bail to Singh in the context of an FIR lodged at Patna airport police station on April 21 under provisions of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1950 and Indian Penal Code.

Singh, a former minister in the Nitish Kumar government, had stoked controversy during an election meeting in Jharkhand's Deoghar district on April 19, saying that those who opposed Narendra Modi should go to Pakistan.

Singh's advocate Janardan Rai argued before the court that his client has already submitted his reply to the show cause to the competent authority and that his assertions were not aimed at any particular caste or community.

Three FIRs have been lodged against him at Deogarh, Bokaro and Patna for his hate speeches.

A team of Bokaro police is already in Patna since Thursday to arrest Singh in the light of non-bailable warrant issued by a Bokaro court. They raided his house but could not find him.