Criminal writ seeking CBI probe against Nitish

A criminal writ petition was filed in the Patna High Court seeking a CBI probe against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar accusing him of allegedly trying to tamper with the evidence in the murder of a Congressman in 1991.

A criminal writ petition was on Wednesday filed in the Patna High Court seeking a CBI probe against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar accusing him of allegedly trying to tamper with the evidence in the murder of a Congressman in 1991.

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The petitioners, Shail Devi and Radheshya Singh, mother and brother of Congress activist Sitaram Singh, who was killed at a polling booth at Pandarak in Patna district on November 17, 1991, alleged that Kumar was trying to influence witnesses and tamper with the evidence in the case.

Their counsel Vinu Kumar said his clients sought an enquiry by the investigating agency as fair trial of the case won't be possible in Bihar.

The petition is yet to be admitted, he said.

A Barh court had acquitted Kumar in the case long ago on the grounds that there was no evidence against him.

The court had on August 31 this year, however, summoned Kumar for appearing before it on September 10 after taking cognisance of a complaint, in which a man, Ramanand Singh had deposed as a key witness.

Kumar had challenged the summon in the Patna High Court, which stayed all proceedings against him in the Barh court till it disposed his petition.