Anna Hazare refuses to come out of jail

Hazare has reportedly refused to come out of jail until he gets unconditional permission for the fast.

Pradip R Sagar reports live from Delhi:

In a dramatic turn of events, Anna Hazare and his associates were to released tonight from Tihar Jail after police decided to withdraw its case against them.

Delhi Police sources said warrants of release have been sent to Tihar Jail authorities for freeing Hazare and his seven associates who were held this morning ahead of their plans to launch an indefinite strike for a strong Lokpal.

The sources said the decision to release was taken after government came to the a conclusion keeping him in jail would create unnecessary law and order situation.

Tihar jail sources said all the eight had been kept in separate lock ups and would be freed soon.

Hazare and his associates refused to take food during their detention under judicial remand.

Earlier:

After being detained under Section 107/151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (for breach of peace), Anna Hazare was earlier produced in front of a special judicial magistrate, where he refused to sign the bail bond.

As per sources, he has been sentenced to seven days of judicial custody in Tihar jail along with six others from his team arrested in the morning.

Sources say that Hazare is being kept in Jail no 4 which is that same as former Commonwealth Games Organising Comittee chief Suresh Kalmadi. The other six, including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, are in Jail no 1 which is the same as the tainted former Telecom Minister A Raja.

Tihar DGP has denied that Hazare is in the same ward as Kalmadi.

IANS adds:

According to Tihar Director General Neeraj Kumar, Hazare reached Tihar at around 3.40pm and was kept in Jail Number 4.

His close aide Manish Sisodia and three others are in the same jail block.

"Arvind Kejriwal is in jail number one with four others," Kumar said.

He, however, clarified that Hazare has not been kept near Kalmadi's ward.

"He is in a ward far way from Kalmadi. We have already done their medical examination," he told reporters. Kalmadi, accused of irregularities during the CWG, is in jail for the past three months.

"Anna Hazare is fasting. He refused to drink even water," Deputy Inspector General (Prisons) RN Sharma told IANS.

Sharma also said both the jails accommodate over 2,000 prisoners.

Detained under Sections 107 and 151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (for breach of peace), Anna Hazare was presented before a special judicial magistrate, where he refused to sign the bail bond.

Hazare refused to sign a personal bond and was remanded to seven days judicial custody in Tihar Jail.

Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat described the arrest as "preventive arrest".

Hazare, who was detained along with Kejriwal from outside an apartment in east Delhi, was first taken to Police Officer's mess in Civil Lines in north Delhi and was then shifted to Rajouri Garden where the office of the West Delhi Deputy Police Commissioner is located.

As news spread about Hazare's arrest, hundreds of his supporters gathered around the jail complex in west Delhi.