On Monday, a Patna court granted unconditional bail to Jan Suraaj leader Prashant Kishor after he was initially sent to judicial custody. The bail was granted by Judge Arti Upadhyay, who had earlier imposed conditions requiring Kishor to furnish a ₹25,000 bail bond and refrain from committing any offenses or participating in protests.
Kishor’s lawyer, Advocate Shivanand Giri, challenged these conditions, refusing to sign the bail bond and arguing for unconditional bail. The court initially stated it lacked the authority to modify the order and advised Kishor to approach the High Court. As a result, Kishor was sent to judicial custody. Later, the same judge granted him unconditional bail.
Bihar police had detained Kishor during a fast-unto-death protest at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan. The protest, which began on January 2, aimed to support students demanding the cancellation of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) 70th Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) held on December 13, 2024. Allegations of irregularities in the examination had sparked widespread protests, which intensified after the government announced a re-examination.
Kishor criticized the re-examination as an acknowledgment of errors in the original process. According to a press release by the commission, a fresh test was conducted on January 4 for 12,000 candidates at the Bapu Pariksha Parisar center in Patna, but only 5,943 candidates attended.
Kishor was detained early in the morning from the protest site and later produced before the court.
