New Delhi, Nov 22 (IANS): The Supreme Court Friday issued notice to former Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav on a petition by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) challenging his acquittal by the Patna High Court in the Ajit Sarkar murder case.

A bench of Justice B.S.Chauhan and Justice S.A.Bobde issued notice, returnable in four weeks, following submission by senior counsel Mukul Gupta who argued the high court verdict had over-looked the statements of prime witnesses and call data record.

A trade union leader, Sarkar was a Communist Party of India-Marxist legislator from Purnea assembly seat in Bihar assembly when he was shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants in Purnea town June 14, 1998. Two people accompanying him - Ashfaq Alam and Hirendra Sharma - were also shot dead.

The investigation was taken over by CBI on Oct 12, 1998.

On Feb 11, 1999, Ranjan Tiwari was arrested and he in his confession named Pappu Yadav and others for the killing.

Pappu Yadav was arrested on May 23, 1999.

Pappu Yadav was elected to Lok Sabha for four consecutive terms - in 1991, 1996, 1999 and 2004. However, the he could not contest 2009 election as he stood debarred from contesting election on account of his conviction in 2008.

The Patna High Court had acquitted Pappu Yadav of the charges of murder on the grounds of lack of evidence. The high court verdict pronounced May 17 also acquitted the other two accused - Tiwari and Anil Kumar Yadav.