After the Supreme Court on Friday set aside the bail granted to him by the Patna High Court on September 7, gangster-turned-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, saying his supporters will “teach him a lesson”.
Shahabuddin is accused in 45 heinous crimes and convicted in a murder case. He is listed as a Category-A history-sheeter. His presence outside jail was seen by the court as a potential threat to witnesses as trials in several cases are on.
In one such case before the court, Shahabuddin faces the charge of conspiring to carry out the murder of a man, a star witness of the barbaric killing of his two brothers who were drenched to death in acid in 2004 by the henchmen of Shahabuddin in his verypresence.
The victims’ father Chandrakeshwar Prasad, a resident of Siwan, had approached the apex court against Shahabuddin’s release from prison. Prasad feared for his life being the lone witness in his son’s murder trial, which is yet to start. Even the Bihar Government supported Prasad by filing an appeal challenging Shahabuddin’s bail. Out of the 45 cases where he is on bail, this was the first case where the State appealed against the bail.
Recording its conclusions in a nine-page order, the Bench of Justices PC Ghose and Amitava Roy said, “Judged on the entire conspectus of the attendant facts and circumstances and considering the stage of the present case before the trial court where charge-sheet has already been submitted, together with pending proceedings against the respondent accused as on date, and his recorded antecedents in the various decisions of this court, we are thus unable to sustain the impugned order of the High Court granting bail to him.”
Though the Bench directed the trial against him to be completed as early as possible, the court also decided to hear a plea challenging bail granted to him in the case involving the murder of Prasad’s two sons in 2004. The trial court had held Shahabuddin guilty of killing the two sons and sentenced him to life.
The court issued notice to the Bihar Government to respond in two weeks. This petition as also the one filed by Prasad was argued by advocate Prashant Bhushan.
After the Supreme Court order cancelling his bail, the former RJD MP surrendered in a local court and was sent to jail. He was in tears and reached the court riding a bike.
His release had created a stir in the political circles as RJD leaders were gaga over the Patna High Court’s order granting him bail, but the Siwan strongman’s verbal attack on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar left JD(U) leaders fuming.
Shahabuddin who had expressed his dislike for Nitish while coming out of the jail once again showed his disdain for the CM and commented, “My supporters will teach him (Nitish) a lesson in the next election.”
The 49-year-old controversial RJD leader had last been arrested in November 2005 and was lodged in Siwan jail. Only a few months back before his release he had been transferred to Bhagalpur after the top district officials found him holding darbar inside the jail. In April last, he had also been accused as main conspirator behind the sensational murder of a Siwan scribe Rajdeo Ranjan and that case is being investigated by the CBI. Some close aides and sharp shooters of Shahabuddin had already been arrested for that murder.
The one family in Siwan which was visibly happy over Shahabuddin’s return to jail was that of Chandrakeshwar Prasad, alias Chanda Babu, whose three sons had been allegedly murdered at the behest of the RJD leader.
“We are very happy and give full credit to the media and Prashant Bhushan,” said aging Chanda Babu who lives with his wife and a handicapped son. He said this order would certainly enhance the morale of people who were scared of Shahabuddin’s release.