Case against Shahabuddin: Sushil Kumar Modi questions Nitish Kumar's seriousness

Patna: Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Wednesday questioned the Nitish Kumar government’s seriousness in pursuing the case against Mohammad Shahabuddin, saying how can an additional standing counsel of the state in the Supreme Court assist the controversial RJD leader in the apex court. [caption id=“attachment_3130512” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File photo of Sushil Kumar Modi. PTI[/caption] “How come Mohammad Shoib Alam, who is Additional Standing Counsel of the state in the Supreme Court, is AOR (Advocate on Record) of Mohammad Shahabuddin in the apex court?” Sushil Modi asked in a statement issued in Patna. “How come Alam is opposing the state and assisting senior advocate Shekhar Nafde who is arguing for Shahabuddin in a case seeking his transfer to Tihar jail from Siwan where he is lodged at present?” he asked. Modi alleged that “on the one hand the state government is helping Shahabuddin and on the other hand it is enacting a drama in the Supreme Court by opposing the RJD strongman there”. He attributed this to RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s “pressure” in favour of Shahabuddin, four times MP from that party in the past, on the grand alliance ministry in which his party is a major partner. Modi, who is a former deputy chief minister of the state, sought to know from Nitish why the state did not take any step by appealing for transfer of Shahabuddin to Tihar jail from Siwan and reopening hearing in cases stranded for past three years.