At Tihar, Soren gets newly-painted cell

New Delhi: Authorities at the high-security Tihar Jail had a busy weekend as they completed the white-washing of a barrack in a cell block for VIPs where Shibu

Soren was taken on Tuesday after he was given a life term by a Delhi court.

The 65-year-old Soren, who was convicted for conspiring to kill his secretary Shashinath Jha and given life imprisonment, arrived in the jail with four others found guilty for the same crime on Tuesday evening after a prolonged day at the Tis Hazari court complex.

The prison authorities, anticipating his sentencing, had white-washed barrack number two in jail number four, where VIP prisoners are kept.

Soren, also known within his JMM party as Guruji, will have the company of another Lok Sabha MP, Rajesh Ranjan alias Papu Yadav, who is being held in the jail after being arrested for allegedly murdering CPI-M leader Ajit Sarkar in 1998.

The life imprisonment given to Shibu Soren came as a shock to many of his supporters who had gathered at the court premises in Tis Hazari. As policemen escorted 65-year-old Soren and four other convicts from the court of Additional Sessions Judge B R Kedia, the JMM leader's supporters shouted "Shibu Soren Zindabad."

A tense-looking Soren raised his hand to silence his supporters, leading to pindrop silence in the corridors of the Tis Hazari complex. A large posse of policemen deployed at the court room prevented scores of journalists from entering it, leading to confrontation between the two sides. However, some reporters entered the room where, for the first time, a Union minister convicted of murder was to be sentenced.

For tribal leader Soren, it was a moment of pain as the judge, after deferring the order on the quantum of his sentence three times within a span of 90 minutes, awarded life imprisonment to him.

On hearing this, Soren held his face in his hands, in what was apparently a sign of relief as the CBI had vociferously advocated the death penalty for all five convicts.

After being kept inside the court room for 30 minutes, Soren and the four other convicts were taken to Tihar Jail by a large police escort to ensure there was no commotion involving the media, which was present in large numbers.

Later, JMM leader and MP Sunil Mahto said: "We are hurt. We have full faith in the judiciary. Sooner or later Guru Ji (Soren) will get justice."