Surprisingly, the Central agency also reiterated that, "under the Indian law, the accused are presumed to be innocent till their guilt is finally established after a fair trial"
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday filed a charge sheet against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Shahabuddin for the offences of murder and criminal conspiracy in the killing of journalist Rajdeo Ranjan in May last year.
Surprisingly, the Central agency also reiterated that, "under the Indian law, the accused are presumed to be innocent till their guilt is finally established after a fair trial."
The charge sheet against Shahabuddin, who is facing trial in 45 heinous cases in Bihar and one in Jharkhand and convicted in one case, in the court of Special Judge in Muzaffarpur in Bihar is for his alleged involvement into the senior journalist. Sources stated that Shahabuddin ordered the hit job as he was unhappy over Ranjan's articles on his terror-reign in Siwan district of Bihar.
Shahabuddin, against whom first criminal case was registered in 1986 at the age of 19, entered politics with the blessings of former Bihar chief minister Lalu Yadav in party's youth wing.
Declared an 'A' category criminal in Hussainganj police station, his reign of terror started after he contested on Janata Dal ticket in 1990 Bihar Assembly elections and won. He again won in 1995, and rose further in stature when he won the 1996 Lok Sabha elections. He acquired more power with the RJD coming to power in the state in 1997. From 1996, he went on to become a parliamentarian four times. His 2004 Lok Sabha contest was from jail. In May 2007, Shahabuddin was convicted of kidnapping a far-Left activist Chhote Lal Gupta, who was missing for nine years then.
The life imprisonment for "abducting with an intent to murder" jeopardised his political career, as law barred people sentenced to two years in jail from contesting polls. He is now languishing in Tihar prison in Delhi after Supreme Court directed the Bihar government to transfer him there from a district jail in Siwan following a plea by Siwan native Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons were killed in two separate incidents.
In senior journalist murder case, the CBI filed a chargesheet under sections of the Indian Penal Code that relate to criminal conspiracy and murder and provisions of Arms Act.
CBI had registered the case on September 15, 2016, on the request of Bihar government.
On May 13, 2016, Ranjan received a phone call in the evening and thereafter he left the office and went towards Station Road. It was further alleged that at about 7.30 pm, when he reached the fruit market near the station, he was intercepted by unknown persons, who shot him dead.
The Bihar police had filed chargesheet against six accused on August 20, 2016. During investigation, CBI filed a chargesheet against one more accused on December 22, 2016.
During further investigation, certain oral, documentary and circumstantial evidences emerged wherein involvement of Shahabuddin.
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