Mohammad Shahabuddin, former RJD MP taken into CBI custody in journalist Rajdeo Ranjan murder case

Taking the investigation of the Rajdeo Ranjan murder case one step forward, the CBI on Monday took over custody of Bihar strongman Mohammad Shahabuddin, the main accused in the scribe’s killing. The former RJD MP was taken to the CBI headquarters in New Delhi for further questioning.

CBI takes custody of former RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin in an ongoing investigation of case relating to murder of journalist Rajdeo Ranjan pic.twitter.com/IZAzemj6IA

— ANI (@ANI) May 29, 2017

Shahabuddin was lodged in Tihar prison.

Reacting to the development, Ranjan’s wife told Times Now that she was confident that in the end all those who were responsible for her husband’s death will be brought to the books.

The central agency had on Friday named Shahabuddin as an accused in the infamous murder case. As per the CBI Special court’s order, Shahabuddin was produced in the court of special judge Anupam Kumari in Muzaffarpur through video-conferencing facility.

The agency has told a Muzaffarpur court that his name has surfaced as an accused in the case and it needs his custodial interrogation. The agency was granted the permission by the court to question him.

Shahabuddin is the 10th accused in the murder case. The CBI special court had on 22 May issued the production warrant against Shahabuddin on the plea of CBI to produce him through video-conferencing for trial.

The CBI had also filed the application the same day for making Shahabuddin as an accused in the case. The CBI counsel submitted that it would soon file charge-sheet against Shahabuddin, who is currently lodged in high-security Tihar jail in the national capital.

The premier investigating agency has already filed charge-sheet against seven accused persons in the case while two accused persons- Mohammad Javed and Mohammad Kaif- are on bail. Javed and Kaif are active members of Shahabuddin gang.

The four-time RJD MP from Siwan is alleged to have been involved in the murder of Rajdeo Ranjan, a journalist of a prominent Hindi daily in Siwan last year.

Shahabuddin is facing trial in more than 45 criminal cases and was moved to Tihar Jail in February this year on a Supreme Court order on a plea by Siwan native Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons were killed in two separate incidents.

Rajdeo Ranjan, district bureau chief of a Hindi daily was gunned down on 13 May last year and his wife has accused Shahabuddin of having a role in the killing.

The Special court fixed June 9 as the next date for production of Shahabuddin in the case.

With inputs from agencies