Political career
2010-Present
In March 2010 he was briefly suspended from the Indian National Congress [18] for allegedly challenging the party's policy strategy. He denied voicing any such challenge and his explanation was accepted. [15] [19] Returning to the Gopalganj constituency, Yadav then fought and lost as a candidate for the INC in the 2010 Bihar legislative assembly election. [20] [21] That election saw confusion regarding the ages of several candidates, including Yadav. The candidates claimed that errors had resulted in the printing process for pre-election affidavits, and in Yadav's case this meant that he was recorded as aged 47 in 2009 when he had been shown as 44 at the time of the 2004 general elections. When asked for clarification by the BBC in 2009, he claimed to be aged 40. [22]
On 25 March 2014, he announced his candidature for 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Saran contesting against his sister and ex-Chief Minister of Bihar Rabri Devi. He stood as an independent candidate. [23] However, he lost the seat to BJP candidate Rajiv Pratap Rudy. He finished a distant third from the Barauli assembly seat in 2015 assembly polls by Jan Adhikar Party (Loktantrik). [24] He contested the 2019 Indian general election as a BSP candidate from Maharajganj, but lost to Janardan Singh Sigriwal.
Criminal cases
Sadhu Yadav has been accused of multiple crimes [25]
Rape and murder of Shilpi Jain
On 3 July 1999, Shilpi Jain semi-nude body was found in a locked car near MLA Quarter No. 12, allotted to Sadhu Yadav, on Frazer Road, Patna. Postmortem confirmed multiple semen samples, proving gang rape before death. Allegations pointed to Sadhu Yadav and his associates, accused of gang-raping and poisoning her to hide the crime. [26]
Supporters of Yadav reportedly tampered with the crime scene before the police arrived. Under political pressure, the case was handed over to the CBI on 9 July 1999. DNA tests confirmed the presence of semen from multiple individuals. The CBI requested a blood sample from Sadhu Yadav for DNA matching; however, he refused to provide it. The CBI closed the case in 2003. [27]
In January 2006, Shilpi’s brother Prashant petitioned to reopen the case but was kidnapped on 5 January. [28]
Threatening a Senior IAS Officer
In January 2001, Sadhu Yadav, then MLA from Gopalganj, was accused of forcibly entering the office of Transport Commissioner N.K. Sinha in Patna. Along with armed associates, he allegedly coerced the officer at gunpoint to sign a transfer order for a Motor Vehicle Inspector. [29] An FIR was lodged shortly thereafter. In May 2022, a special court in Patna convicted Sadhu Yadav and sentenced him to three years of simple imprisonment. He was granted bail and appealed the decision. [30]
Shilpi-Gautam Murder Case (1999)
In July 1999, the bodies of Shilpi Jain and Gautam Singh were found in a car inside a government quarter in Patna. The property was linked to Sadhu Yadav. [31]
Police later sent them for postmortem, but declared it a suicide even before the report arrived. The same car was driven to the police station, destroying all potential evidence. Gautam was cremated the same night. Facing political pressure, Chief Minister Rabri Devi handed over the case to the CBI in September 1999. [32] [33]
CBI’s probe revealed Shilpi was allegedly sexually assaulted by multiple people before death, and semen traces were found on her clothes. When asked for a DNA sample, Sadhu Yadav reportedly refused. The DNA test was dropped, and 4.5 years later, the CBI filed a closure report calling it a suicide by poison. Gautam’s brother planned to move the Supreme Court in 2006 but was kidnapped and later never pursued the case again. [34]
Flood Relief Scam (2007)
Sadhu Yadav was also linked to a major flood relief scam in Bihar, where he allegedly received funds from the main accused, Santosh Jha, and sold a vehicle to Jha’s father. [35] His role in the case led to court action and a fresh arrest warrant. [36] [37]
Controversy
The 2003 film Gangaajal , which is based on true events in Bihar and features a politician character called Sadhu Yadav, caused Yadav's supporters to attack cinemas when it was released. [38] [39] Yadav himself attempted to prevent screening of the film, pleading to the court that it belittled him, but Prakash Jha, the director, claimed that "Sadhu Yadav is just a character in the movie. The movie has nothing to do with the profession of politics nor is it a caricature of the Bihar politician." [40]
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