CM Nitish orders CBI probe into Bihar journalist’s killing
Bihar chief minister
Nitish Kumar recommended on Monday a CBI probe into a senior
journalist’s murder that has mounted pressure on his coalition
government amidst allegations of a jailed politician’s involvement. The government’s
announcement came two days after 42-year-old Rajdeo Ranjan, the head of Hindi
daily Hindustan in Siwan, was shot dead by unidentified men in the heart of the
town, 145 km north-west of Patna.
Police, who claim to
be on the verge of cracking the case, said the “instructions” to kill Ranjan
came from Siwan jail where former MP and RJD strongman Mohammad Shahabuddin is
serving a life sentence for murder. Upendra Singh, a close
associate of Shahabuddin, who was questioned by police is understood to have
revealed that the kill order was issued a fortnight ago. Police sources said a
criminal released from the jail recently approached Singh to arrange arms for
killing Ranjan, who had written extensively against the RJD leader, said to
wield considerable clout despite being behind bars for six years.
Singh is among four
people arrested after the incident but only for drinking alcohol, a crime under
the new prohibition law. Sources said the four were allegedly “celebrating” the
murder of Ranjan, though police are yet to find any evidence to link him to the
incident.
Nitish Kumar is facing
flak from the opposition for engaging his entire administration in enforcing
prohibition, his pet project, which allegedly left holes in policing. “If there is an attack
on a journalist, it’s an attack on me and that’s how I am looking at the case,” Kumar
told reporters, as he sought to deflect opposition allegations of his losing
control over the law and order scenario. The incident came a
few days after the son of a ruling JD-U legislator was arrested for killing a
youth in a case of road rage in Gaya. The opposition BJP said the spate of
killings confirmed the “return of maha jungle raj” in the state.
The slain journalist’s
wife Asha welcomed the announcement, saying she had “full faith in a CBI
inquiry but can’t believe in Lalu Prasad, Nitish Kumar or Bihar police”. She was also very
critical of the police. “Whatever arrests they (the police) claim to have made
are under excise act. Even after 72 hours, they have nothing to show.”
Investigators said on
Monday a sharp-shooter linked to Shahabuddin and released from Siwan jail a
fortnight ago has emerged as the main suspect but he was yet to be arrested. Altogether 15 people,
including the four arrested, have been questioned over the murder till now. The sharpshooter went
underground with his entire family within two hours of the killing, police
added.
“They (the 15 people)
are under suspicion since they had celebrated the killing. All of them have a
criminal past and were associated with local politics,” said Bihar director
general of police PK Thakur. Police said the
killing was the result of a leaked photograph of Bihar minister Abdul Ghafoor
feasting with Shahabuddin in jail. It is believed that the slain journalist
passed on the pictures to media houses.