Nitish Kumar visits Rahul Raj's home, meets his parents

Patna, Oct 28 (UNI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his Deputy Sushil Kumar Modi today visited the house of Rahul Raj Prasad, the victim of yesterday's Mumbai police shootout, and consoled his parents, besides promising them to inquire into the whole incident.

Mr Kumar, on his arrival here from New Delhi this morning, drove straight to Rahul's Kadamkuan residence from the airport, accompanied by Mr Modi, Health Minister Nand Kishore Yadav and Director General of Police D N Gautam, and met Rahul's parents and other close relatives.

During his nearly hour-long stay there, the Chief Minister, expressing grief at the death of Rahul, said he had already demanded a probe into the whole incident.

''We have also sent IG, CID, Rajesh Ranjan to Mumbai to gather all evidences about the shootout incident there and submit a report soon,'' the Chief Minister reportedly told Rahul's bereaved father Kundan Raj Prasad.

He also promised to look into Mr Prasad's demand for a CBI inquiry into the shootout incident.

Later Mr Kumar and other ministers met the local residents, including several friends of Rahul, and heard their grievances.

As the Chief Minister went to meet Rahul's parents, hundreds of local residents sat on a dharna in front of the house, demanding declaration of ''state mourning'' today as Rahul's body was expected to arrive here after the post-mortem in Mumbai.

They also demanded stern action against Mumbai police for the alleged fake encounter as well as against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Chief Raj Thackeray and party activists for assaulting Bihari students and other North Indians in Maharashtra.

The Chief Minister, after giving them a patient hearing, promised to look into their demands.

Incidentally, yesterday the Chief Minister led an all-party delegation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, urging him to take immediate and effective action against the Maharashtra government and Mr Thackeray.

The delegation, which included Railway Minister and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, Union Steel and Fertilisers Minister and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan and Congress leader and Union Minister Meira Kumar, also demanded immediate banning of MNS and Shiv Sena for their alleged divisive activities.

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