Patna | The Patna High Court has directed the Bihar government to restore Y plus category security cover enjoyed by Independent Bihar MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, setting aside the order by which the same had been scaled down to 'Y'.

Justice Jitendra Kumar passed the order while allowing a petition filed by Yadav, the sitting MP from Purnea, who had moved the court challenging the state government's decision to downgrade his security cover.

The Independent MP, who is known to be close to the Congress, had sought enhancement of his security cover, citing "several representations" made to the state government as well as the Union Home Ministry about the threats he faced from local gangster Chhotu Yadav and dreaded mafia don Lawrence Bishnoi.

The court, in its order dated May 14, ruled that state Home Department's decision to scale down Yadav's security cover, in September last year, was "not based on objective material and (in) adherence to fairness".

The court, therefore, directed the state Home secretary to "restore security cover of the petitioner to Y plus category as he was getting before its scaling down to Y category".