Bihar CBI court issues production warrant against Shahabuddin in scribe murder case
The court asked the CBI to produce the RJD ex-MP, lodged in New Delhi’s Tihar jail, through video-conferencing, on May 26, in connection with the murder in Siwan (Bihar) last year of journalist Rajdeo Ranjan.
A CBI special court, at the north Bihar district headquarters town of Muzaffarpur, on Monday, issued a production warrant against former Siwan MP and senior RJD leader Md Shahabuddin, in a case pertaining to the murder of journalist Rajdeo Ranjan, at Siwan in north Bihar, in May last year.
Hearing a petition for production warrant, filed by a DSP rank investigating officer, the court of special CBI judge Anupam Kumari granted the prayer and asked CBI officials to produce the former MP through video conferencing, on May 26.
Shahabuddin is lodged at present in the high security Tihar jail in New Delhi, as per a Supreme Court direction, on appeal from Ranjan’s widow and other complainants
The RJD ex-MP’s name was mentioned by an accused, Md. Kaif, during his interrogation, in the context of the killing of Ranjan, who was shot dead near the Siwan railway station under town police station, on May 13 last year.
Court sources told HT that the IO of the case, Sunil Singh Rawat, urged the court to grant the warrant after finding material evidence against the former MP in the killing of Ranjan.
“In his petition, Rawat has stated that the investigating team had collected sufficient evidence concerning the murder of Rajdeo. Hence, the court should grant a production warrant against Shahabuddin for interrogation to unravel the truth behind the murder”, the sources said.
Special public prosecutor AH Khan, who accompanied Rawat to the court, refused to divulge details about the investigation findings to media persons.
A legal expert of local court, requesting anonymity, said the production warrant was issued only when the court was satisfied with the evidence indicated to be in the CBI’s possession, against the alleged persons.
The CBI officials initiated the investigation against Shahabuddin after a writ petition was filed in the apex court by Asha Ranjan, wife of the slain scribe. The Supreme court directed the CBI officials to probe the case, including the role of Shahabuddin, after hearing the petition.
Notably, two of the seven accused persons in the scribe murder case, Md Kaif alias Bunty and Javed Bhatt alias Javed Mian, were granted bails by the court as the CBI failed to file formal charge sheets against them within the deadline of 90 days.
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