A special court may frame charges against former Rashtriya Janata Dal parliamentarian Mohammad Shahabuddin, who is lodged in a jail in Bihar’s Siwan, in connection with the murder of the brother of ex-MLC and BJP leader Manoj Kumar Singh in 2005.
The matter was heard on Friday but the court fixed January 20 as the next date for hearing due to lack of original documents. Shahabuddin, who is facing more than 40 cases, including those of abduction and murder, was charged with involvement in the murder of Mrityunjay Kumar Singh.
This came a day after the court framed charges against Shahabuddin in the Rajiv Roshan murder case. The next date of hearing, in this case, is January 19. Special judge BK Shukla directed the special public prosecutor to ensure the presence of all the witnesses on January 19. Summons have been issued to all of them.
Roshan was a prime witness in the infamous acid bath case in which two of his brothers were allegedly killed at Shahabuddin’s behest. All three were abducted on March 31, 2004, from near a bus stand, though Roshan somehow managed to escape death.
He was also shot dead on June 16, 2014, in Siwan few days before he was to record his evidence.
{{/usCountry}}He was also shot dead on June 16, 2014, in Siwan few days before he was to record his evidence.
{{/usCountry}}Shahabuddin and his son Osama were made the accused in the case, though the former member of Parliament was lodged in jail that day and he was accused of being involved in the conspiracy to kill Roshan.
The Patna high court ordered Shahabuddin’s release in September last year on the ground that the trial in the murder case will take a long time. It was quashed by the Supreme Court, which asked the ex-RJD parliamentarian to surrender.
The apex court had earlier pulled up the Bihar coalition government for its shoddy approach to the case.
The RJD is part of the ruling coalition in Bihar and Shahabuddin, who represented Siwan in the Lok Sabha for four successive terms between 1996 and 2008, is close to party chief Lalu Prasad.