Shahabuddin goes back to jail

ByMr. Sachida Nand Jha

Sep 30, 2016

Law Kumar Mishra

Patna: RJD vice-president Mohammad Shahabuddin surrendered before the chief judicial magistrate of Siwan,Sandip Kumar, immediately after a division bench of Supreme Court ordered cancellation of bail granted by Patna High Court on September 7. After 21 days of freedom, the former MP was sent back to jail in high security.

The Supreme Court had directed the police to take him into custody immediately. the DM and SP of Siwan rushed to Pratappur residence of Shahabuddin with force, but by that time he had already left for court on a motorcycle with his head covered with a helmet. He came to the court in a white T shirt and jeans. His lawyers surrounded him and escorted him to the CJM court.

Shahabuddin was again furious with CM Nitish Kumar and said his supporters will teach a lesson to Nitish in the next elections (mere samarthak aane wale chunav me bata denge). He reiterated his earlier statement made on September 10 claiming Nitish was the CM of circumstances and Lalu Prasad was the real leader .He said he was not afraid of any one and would stand by his comments against Nitish which was a “truth”. Shahabuddin said he respected judiciary and came to the court to surrender immediately after Supreme Court cancelled bail granted to him by Patna High Court. His angry supporters beat a mediaperson at Siwan on Friday.

While there was no immediate reaction from RJD, the JD(U), a partner in the Grand Alliance government, took credit for the “Don” being sent to jail again. State JD(U) president Bashistha Narain Singh said the chief minister had already declared four days back that no Don will be out of jail so long he was the chief minister. He claimed it was on the instructions of the CM that the Bihar government appealed against Patna High Court order releasing Shahabuddin on bail and pleaded strongly for cancellation of bail in the Supreme Court. Singh said the CM has said he would observe the alliance dharma but would not compromise on law and order.

Last week , RJD president Lalu Prasad had commented that Nitish Kumar showed urgency (jaldibazi) in going in appeal to Supreme Court. He did not find anything wrong in Shahabuddin calling Nitish as CM of circumstances.

AICC spokesman Premchandra Mishra tried to treat the developments lightly by saying it was the result of judicial process.

Chanda Babu and Kalawati Devi, parents of three youths:Rajiv Raushan, Rajesh and Girish, who were killed allegedly by Shahabuddin’s men, expressed satisfaction over the Supreme Court order and said the credit goes to the media for campaign against Shahabuddin’s release on bail.

BJP state president Mangal Pandey said Nitish acted under pressure of Lalu in not opposing Shahabuddin’s release on bail by Patna High Court. Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, MP, demanded of RJD president Lalu Prasad to expel Shahabuddin from the party.

The developments over Shahabuddin since September 7 will have effect on the relations between Nitish and Lalu as Nitish declined to accept the “dictates” of RJD president beyond a limit and asked the law officers to strongly plead for cancellation of bail granted to the RJD leader. Even in the SC, during arguments, the state government lawyer had admitted lapses by the state government last month in Patna High Court.