Wife of slain scribe moves SC for transfer of probe to Delhi

The spouse of slain scribe Rajdev Ranjan today moved Supreme Court seeking transfer of probe and trial in the murder case to Delhi from Siwan in Bihar alleging that media reports have shown two absconding killers of her husband in the company of recently-released RJD leader Shahabuddin and Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav.

The furore over the release of the RJD strongman from Siwan has now reached the apex court through various petitions.

Asha Ranjan, wife of Rajdev Ranjan who has filed the plea through advocate Kislay Panday, has sought reliefs including a direction to CBI, to which probe has been transferred, to take up the investigation forthwith in view of the fact that the proclaimed offenders, Mohd Kaif and Mohd Javed, have been spotted with Shahabuddin and the state Health Minister, where several cops were also present.

Simultaneously, Chandrakeshwar Prasad of Siwan, whose three of four sons were allegedly murdered by the gangster- turned-politician, would tomorrow file an appeal in the apex court challenging Patna High Court's order granting bail to the former RJD MP through his lawyer Prashant Bhushan.

The scribe, working with a vernacular daily, was shot dead on the evening of May 13 in Siwan town by some sharp- shooters allegedly at the instance of then jailed RJD leader, the plea alleged, adding that despite being named by the family of the journalist, Siwan police did not name Shahabuddin in the FIR as a key conspirator.

The plea also alleged that CBI, to which the case was handed over on May 16 by Bihar government, was yet take it up.

Besides Bihar government, the plea has made Superintendent of Police of Siwan, Shahabuddin and Tej Pratap, minister son of RJD Supremo Lalu Prasad, as parties.

"The local police is harbouring and criminally colluding with the proclaimed offenders. If police is deliberately not arresting Kaif and the Health Minister is taking photographs with the proclaimed offenders, the life of Rajdeo Ranjan's wife and her two minor children is at stake," Panday said.

It has been alleged that the RJD leader was irked over some reports by the slain journalist on the issue of murder of three sons of Chandrakeshwar Prasad. The leader has been convicted and awarded life term in one of the cases.

"At this stage the petitioner has felt very insecure, terrorised and helpless with regard to the safety and security of her own self and of her two children...," it said.

The plea has sought lodging of an FIR against Shahabuddin and Tej Pratap Yadav for "conspiring, harbouring and sheltering proclaimed offenders" of the murder case.

Raising the question of law, the wife of the slain scribe said sought transfer of "the entire proceedings and the trial...,in the interests of justice, to Delhi from Siwan." It also said that a status report be sought from the CBI about the progress made so far in the case.

"Direct the state to pay the appropriate compensation to the petitioner and her family members as per law," it said adding that the state be asked to ensure "respectable and appropriate free of cost and safe residential accommodation to the petitioner and her family out of Bihar".

The other plea, likely to be filed tomorrow by Prashant Bhushan, would challenge the Patna High Court's order granting bail to the former RJD MP.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan's office said they were giving final shape to the petition in which they are challenging how bail can be given to a "history sheeter".

"We are filing the appeal tomorrow on behalf of victims' father Chandrakeshwar Prasad alias Chandra Babu. We are on way to give final shape to the appeal and it will be filed tomorrow in which several grounds are taken.

"We will be challenging how bail has been given to a person who is a history sheeter. Facts are being verified about the number of cases etc and convictions that have taken place against him," advocate Rohit Singh from Bhushan's office said.

Shahabuddin, who was granted bail by the Patna High Court on September 7, was released from Bhagalpur jail on September 10. He was in jail for 11 years in connection with dozens of cases against him.

Controversial RJD strongman Shahabuddin was granted bail in the 2014 murder case of Rajiv Roshan, son of Chandrakeshwar Prasad.

Roshan was a witness to the murder of his brothers Gitish and Satish, who were drenched with acid and killed in 2004. The trial for Roshan's murder is yet to start.

Meanwhile, facing flak over Shahabuddin's release from jail, the Bihar government is also reportedly considering filing an appeal in the Supreme Court against the bail granted to him.