Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has a case pending in the court which is related to murder and attempt to murder apart from rioting armed with deadly weapon. His deputy Sushil Kumar Modi is facing a charge of bribery. RJD leader and former CM Rabri Devi is facing charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property.
This has been confessed by these leaders in their affidavits to the Election Commission of India (ECI) while contesting election to Bihar legislative Council last fortnight. They have been re-elected to the Upper House without contest. Altogether 11 persons were elected to the Council of them four were re-elected and the remaining are new faces.
The Bihar Election Watch (BEW) and Association for Democratic Rights (ADR), the two election watchdogs, have compiled the information of these 11 MlCs which are based on the inputs provided by them in their affidavits. The report apart from their criminal cases also highlighted their financial and educational backgrounds and other details.
The case under sections 302 and 307 and other sections under IPC had been registered against Nitish and the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate of Barh had taken cognizance. However, the Patna High Court had granted stay and the case was still pending before the same court for hearing since September 2009. Nitish, like Modi, is an MlC since 2006 and both were elected for third consecutive terms last fortnight.
The Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate of Naugachia took cognizance of case against Modi filed under sections 500, 501, 502, 504 of IPC and 120B but the Patna high court stayed the proceedings in 2001. Another case dealt with section 171E (bribery) and 188 of which court of Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bhabua took cognizance in January 2016.
There are altogether five cases against Rabri Devi under sections 120B and 420. Cognizance has been taken in one case while in others charges were framed. Among the 11 MlCs Rabri Devi is richest with a declared assets of Rs 17.92 crore and the poorest is Prem Chandra Mishra of Congress, a new face, who has total assets worth Rs 68.93 lakh.
The declared assets of Nitish Kumar is Rs 3.09 crore while his deputy Modi is a little richer with Rs 3.40 crore. The second richest after Rabri is Ramaishabar Mahto of JD(U) with 15.21 crore followed by RJD’s Khurshid Mohsin having an asset of Rs 8.83 crore. Mohsin used to do gardening in the houses and lands of lalu Prasad and an agriculturist and horticulturist from Nalanda. Health Minister Mangal Pandey of BJP has assets worth Rs 1.52 crore. Former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi’s son Santosh Kumar Suman has assets worth Rs 2.57 crore. He has been elected with RJD support.