India against corruption: Anna Hazare sent to judicial custody

Anna Hazare was sent to seven days' judicial custody on Tuesday after he refused to sign a personal bond and come out on bail following his arrest.

The anti corruption campaigner will share space in Tihar jail with A Raja and Suresh Kalmadi both accused in high-profile scams.

"Anna Hazare has been lodged in jail number four where Suresh Kalmadi and Kalaignar TV Managing Director Sharad Kumar is lodged," Deputy Inspector General (Tihar) R N Sharma said.

Anna will be with his associates Rajesh, Suresh Pathare and Manish Sisodia in a cell of the prison which houses 2231 inmates.

Former Indian Revenue Services officer Arvind Kejriwal has been lodged in jail number one where former telecom minister A Raja and MD of D B Realty Shahid Balwa are lodged.

Anna Hazare and his aides were brought to jail at 4.15pm and were quietly sent to their cells.

Hazare, who was arrested in the morning on grounds of apprehension of breach of peace following his intention to defy prohibitory orders to go on indefinite hunger strike, was produced before a Special Executive Magistrate.

Delhi Police Commissioner B K Gupta told a press conference that the police was not keen that he should be sent to judicial custody.

Gupta said the police was prepared for his being released on a personal bond if the Gandhian would have given an undertaking that he will not defy Section 144 of the CrPC that prohibits gathering of five or more people and also ask his supporters not to do so.

Sources said since Hazare refused to give an undertaking, the magistrate remanded him to a seven-day judicial custody.

He will be taken to Tihar jail where he will spend time in judicial custody. Three other leading activists of the team Hazare--Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal and Manoj Sisodia-- were also sent to judicial custody on similar grounds.

Earlier today, Anna Hazare launched a fast in police custody soon after he was detained for sticking to his plan to defy prohibitory orders and stage a protest against corruption here.

The Hazare Team said the Gandhian was on fast and was not even taking water after he was taken to a police facility in north Delhi.

"He is on fast. He is not even taking water," a spokesperson for the Hazare Team said.

Hazare was detained from an apartment in east Delhi's Mayur Vihar on Tuesday morning after police failed to persuade him to call off his plans to defy prohibitory orders and stage a protest at Jai Prakash Narain Park here.

Besides Hazare, his close associates Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Shanti Bhushan were also detained.

The Gandhian had announced that he would launch his indefinite fast from today demanding withdrawal of the "weak" Lokpal Bill and introduce a strong legislation to fight corruption.