Legal Battle Ends: RJD Vice-President Convicted in Defamation Suit

In a legal dispute stemming from Bihar, Patna Court sentenced Shivanand Tiwary, RJD's vice-president, to a year in jail with a Rs 10,000 fine for defamation against Janata Dal (United) leader Sanjay Jha. Jha filed the case in 2018, addressing Tiwary's statements questioning Jha's ties with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Tiwary, an experienced socialist figure connected to both Kumar and Lalu Prasad, faces a 30-day window for appeal.

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Patna's judicial proceedings concluded with a significant decision as Shivanand Tiwary, the vice-president of RJD, received a one-year imprisonment term and a Rs 10,000 penalty in a defamation lawsuit. The case revolved around accusations directed at Sanjay Jha, a prominent figure within the JD(U) and a former national general secretary, regarding his alleged close connections with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Representing Tiwary, Madhukar Anand, counsel for Jha, highlighted that the court had granted provisional bail to Tiwary, allowing him a 30-day window for an appeal against the ruling. This legal confrontation had its origins in 2018 when Jha was a key JD(U) functionary holding significant portfolios such as Water Resources and Information and Public Relations in Nitish Kumar's administration.

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At the heart of the matter lay Tiwary's comments casting doubts on Jha's relationship with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Kumar's political realignment with the RJD, which he had previously distanced himself from in 2017, indicated a willingness to pass leadership to his deputy, Tejashwi Yadav, son of Lalu Prasad, the head of the party.

Tiwary, a veteran leader with a deep-rooted history with both Prasad and Kumar spanning almost five decades, had affiliations with parties championed by these influential leaders at various intervals. This legal repercussion adds a new chapter to the intricate political landscape of Bihar, where past alliances and present conflicts shape the state's political trajectory.