Mohammad Shahabuddin walks free after 11 years

Patna, Sept 10: After spending 11 years behind bars, former RJD parliamentarian Mohammad Shahabuddin was released from Bihar's Bhagalpur jail on Saturday.

He termed RJD chief Lalu Prasad as his leader.

After the Patna High Court granted bail four days ago in a case related to the killing of a murder witness, he was finally released from prison.

According to police officers, Shahabuddin left for Siwan in a cavalcade. He will first visit his native village Pratappur.

Shahabuddin told the media that it was wrong to describe him as a terror-monger and no one was afraid of him in Siwan. Shahabuddin is facing 35 criminal cases including murder, extortion, kidnapping. He was only convicted in seven cases.

Celebrations erupted at his native village and other places organised by his supporters.

Shahabuddin's wife Hina Sahab told the media in Siwan that she had been waiting for his release for over a decade.

While he was behind the bars, she contested two Lok Sabha polls from Siwan but without success.

In May, Shahabuddin was shifted from Siwan district jail to Bhagalpur Central Jail after the murder of Hindustan newspaper's journalist Rajdeo Ranjan. Ranjan, the Siwan bureau chief was shot dead in a busy market.

IANS