Siwan journalist murder: Wife moves SC for transfer of probe to Delhi

The spouse of slain scribe Rajdev Ranjan on Wednesday moved Supreme Court seeking transfer of probe and trial in the murder case to Delhi from Siwan in Bihar. She has alleged that media reports have shown two absconding killers of her husband in the company of recently-released RJD leader Shahabuddin and Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav.

The furore over the release of the RJD strongman from Siwan has now reached the apex court through various petitions.

Asha Ranjan, wife of Rajdev Ranjan who has filed the plea through advocate Kislay Panday, has sought reliefs including a direction to CBI, to which probe has been transferred, to take up the investigation forthwith in view of the fact that the proclaimed offenders, Mohd Kaif and Mohd Javed, have been spotted with Shahabuddin and the state Health Minister, where several cops were also present.

Simultaneously, Chandrakeshwar Prasad of Siwan, whose three of four sons were allegedly murdered by the gangster-turned-politician, would tomorrow file an appeal in the apex court challenging Patna High Court’s order granting bail to the former RJD MP through his lawyer Prashant Bhushan.

The scribe, working with a vernacular daily, was shot dead on the evening of May 13 in Siwan town by some sharp-shooters allegedly at the instance of then jailed RJD leader, the plea alleged, adding that despite being named by the family of the journalist, Siwan police did not name Shahabuddin in the FIR as a key conspirator.

The plea also alleged that CBI, to which the case was handed over on May 16 by Bihar government, was yet take it up.

Besides Bihar government, the plea has made Superintendent of Police of Siwan, Shahabuddin and Tej Pratap, minister son of RJD Supremo Lalu Prasad, as parties.

“The local police is harbouring and criminally colluding with the proclaimed offenders. If police is deliberately not arresting Kaif and the Health Minister is taking photographs with the proclaimed offenders, the life of Rajdeo Ranjan’s wife and her two minor children is at stake,” Panday said.

It has been alleged that the RJD leader was irked over some reports by the slain journalist on the issue of murder of three sons of Chandrakeshwar Prasad. The leader has been convicted and awarded life term in one of the cases.

“At this stage the petitioner has felt very insecure, terrorised and helpless with regard to the safety and security of her own self and of her two children...,” it said.