Jan Suraaj party founder Prashant Kishor was hospitalised on Tuesday after suffering from dehydration and a throat infection, a day after he was arrested and subsequently released on bail, reported PTI.

Later in the day, the party said he was shifted to the intensive care unit.

Kishor has been on an indefinite hunger strike since January 2 to press for the cancellation of the recently-held Bihar Public Service Commission preliminary examination.

On Tuesday, the party leaders took him to a private hospital in Patna by ambulance after a doctor recommended hospitalisation.

“There are certain medical issues that need to be thoroughly examined,” said the doctor. “He is suffering from infection and dehydration. He is also weak and feeling discomfort.”

Kishor, however, told reporters before leaving for the hospital that his indefinite hunger strike would continue.

The Jan Suraaj party founder was arrested in the early hours of Monday on charges of violating orders prohibiting public gatherings and sitting on a hunger strike at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan without the permission of authorities. Hours later, a Patna court granted him bail, and directed him to submit a bond of Rs 25,000.

However, his lawyer Shivanand Giri said that the court also imposed a condition that Kishor should state in writing that he would not commit such an offence again. As the Jan Suraaj party founder did not accept these conditions, the court remanded him to judicial custody, the lawyer said.

Kishor, after being released, said that the court later granted him unconditional bail.

Civil services aspirants in Bihar who appeared for the 70th Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination on December 13 have been protesting in Patna since December 18, alleging a question paper leak at one of the centres.

They have also alleged that CCTV cameras and jammers were not functioning at several examination centres and that question papers were distributed late at some.

Bihar Public Service Commission Chairman Parmar Ravi Manubhai has denied any question paper leaks and stated that the preliminary examination was conducted peacefully at 911 out of 912 centres. So far, the commission has agreed to reschedule the exam only for candidates who appeared at a centre in Patna, where an exam official died of a heart attack.

SC declines to hear plea challenging BPSC exam

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court refused to hear a petition challenging the Bihar Public Service Commission examination on account of the alleged paper leak, Live Law reported.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna directed the petitioner to approach the Patna High Court instead.

The bench observed that the Supreme Court could not be the court of first instance for the case, as no other plea has been filed in the High Court about the alleged paper leaks. It, however, refrained from commenting on the merits of the case.