Supreme Court orders to shift RJD leader Mohammad Shahabuddin from Siwan to Tihar Jail

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered to shift Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Mohammad Shahabuddin from Bihar's Siwan jail to Tihar jail in the national capital for a free and fair trial in the murder case.

A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy asked the Bihar government to transfer Shahabuddin to Tihar Jail within a week, saying “it is the obligation and duty of this court to ensure free and fair trial”.

The apex court said trial in the cases registered against Shahabuddin will be conducted through video conferencing from Tihar Jail.

“We direct the state of Bihar to transfer Mohammad Shahabuddin from district jail Siwan to Tihar jail Delhi,” the bench said.

The order came on the pleas by Siwan-based Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons were killed in two separate incidents, and Asha Ranjan, the wife of scribe Rajdeo Ranjan who was murdered in Siwan, seeking shifting of the RJD leader from Siwan jail.

The plea was filed by Asha Ranjan, wife of a journalist Rajdeo Ranjan, who was shot dead in July last year Phal Mandi near the Siwan Railway Station, barely half-a-kilometre from the police station.

Asha Ranjan in plea said that free and fair trial against the RJD leader is affected and influenced if he remains in Bihar jail. Shahabuddin is facing trail in 45 criminal cases against him.

A separate petition has also been filed by Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons were murdered at the command of the RJD leader.