AIMIM MLA claims threat to life from elder brother who lost polls to him

Sarafaraz Alam and Shahnawaz Alam are sons of former Union minister, late Md Taslimuddin, and they contested against each other in the recently concluded assembly elections.

Newly-elected AIMIM MLA Shahnawaz Alam’s wife, Gazala Khatun, has lodged an FIR at Jokihat police station against her husband’s elder brother Sarfaraz Alam and RJD leaders--Pappu Paswan, Rashik Anjum, Md Babloo, Md Arshad, Firoz Mukhiya, Hazi Khalil, Gaurav Kumar Bittu and seven others—accusing them of assaulting and abusing her and others.

RJD’s decision to field Sarafaraz Alam instead of younger brother Shahnawaz Alam, who had won the Jokihat set even earlier, backfired. (Parwaz Khan /HT PHOTO)

“We were strolling in our campus on Sunday evening when about 15 persons led by Sarafaraz Alam arrived here on four vehicles and asked us to vacate the house and leave the village,” she said, adding, “They later assaulted us and made vulgar comments on us.”

She claimed that the assailants even threatened to kill the MLA if the family didn’t vacate the ancestral house.

Sarafaraz Alam and Shahnawaz Alam are sons of former Union minister, late Md Taslimuddin, and they contested against each other in the recently concluded assembly elections. Sarfaraz Alam contested the Jokihat seat on a RJD ticket but lost to younger brother Shahnawaz Alam, who won as AIMIM candidate.

Araria SDPO Pushkar Kumar said, “We have lodged an FIR on the basis of the written complaint from the wife of the AIMIM MLA under sections 147, 148, 323, 342, 354 (A), 447, 448, 456, 477, 504 and 509 of IPC.”

“A probe is underway and stern action will be taken against those who were involved in the incident,” he added.

Meanwhile security personnel have been deployed at AIMIM MLA’s house at Sisona village. Shahnawaz Alam has also appealed to the state government to provide him with protection.

“We appeal to the Bihar government to provide us security” Shahnawaz said alleging his elder brother and his henchmen would harm him and his family. The MLA expressed fear that he could have been killed had he been present during the incident on Sunday evening. Alam has also written to Araria district magistrate and superintendent of police demanding security.

Shahnawaz has even appealed to RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav to act against his elder brother, who he alleged was involved in criminal acts after being rejected by the people in the election.

“How can the RJD hope to revive itself in Seemanchal with the help of such a candidate” Shahnawaz said.

Both the brothers have been engaged in a bitter dual to lay claim to their father’s legacy. Their tussle also played out in the election where Shahnawaz successfully won the Jokihat seat as an AIMIM candidate after he was shunned by the RJD, which picked his elder brother Sarfaraz Alam as party candidate instead from the seat.

“Political and electoral fight has intensified the family feud and this is just the beginning,” sources within late Taslimuddin’s family said, adding “It will go further.”