NDA demands Shahabuddin's arrest

Patna, Sep 14: The furore over Md Shahabuddin's release on bail refused to die down in Bihar with opposition NDA today demanding the arrest of the RJD strongman in the journalist Rajdeo Ranjan murder case.

Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi demanded Shahabuddin's arrest at a press conference held on the sidelines of a 'Mahadharna' organised by the NDA here to protest against the state government's "lackadaisical approach" to trials in all cases against the former RJD MP who, the party said, capitalised on the loopholes in the judicial proceedings to come out on bail after being incarcerated for 11 years.

"Fresh evidence has emerged in which a sharp-shooter, Md Kaif, wanted by Siwan police in the Rajdeo Ranjan murder case has been seen standing close to Shahaduddin after his release from Bhagalpur jail last week in a video footage," he said.

"The evidence proves beyond doubt that Kaif, who has been absconding, has close connection with Shahabuddin," the senior BJP leader said.

In the light of this evidence, the state government must arrest Shahabuddin without any further delay and direct Siwan police to question the RJD strongman as it has sufficient documents to prove his role in the case with his name appearing several times in the case diary.

Modi, a former deputy chief minister, further asked the state government to move the Supreme Court seeking quashing of Shahabuddin's bail in addition to a similar petition that noted lawyer Prashant Bhushan will file on behalf of Chandrakeshwar Prasad alias Chanda Babu, the father of three youths killed allegedly by Shahabuddin's men in Siwan.

The senior BJP leader also took exception to a photograph showing RJD supremo Lalu Prasad's elder son and Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav with Md Kaif and said it has sent a wrong message to the people of Bihar.

"It is highly objectionable if the Health Minister has allowed himself to be photographed with an absconding criminal," Modi said.

PTI