RJD Leader Accuses Bihar Govt. of Conspiring to Kill Shahabuddin
Patna: May 9, 2007
While the majority of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) camp remains shell-shocked by the conviction and sentencing of party MP Mohammed Shahabuddin, party state president Abdul Bari Siddiqui accused the NDA government of trying to get the Siwan MP killed in jail.
At a press conference in Patna, Siddiqui said the state government was trying to 'eliminate' Shahabuddin in jail "as indicated by the clash between the two groups of inmates in Siwan Jail' shortly after a special court sentenced the Siwan MP to life imprisonment in the abduction-killing of a CPI-ML activist in 1999.
Siddiqui further said that the jail officials in Siwan were acting on personal bias and hatred against the MP and were framing him on frivolous issues to ensure he never comes out of the jail. He also demanded transfer of the MP from Siwan Jail to some other state prison.
The MP is expected to move Patna High Court to appeal the conviction, Siddiqui said.
As reported earlier, Shahabuddin was convicted in the abduction-murder of a CPI-ML worker Chhote Lal by Additional District and Sessions Judge Gyaneshwar Prasad Srivastava last Saturday.
On Tuesday, the same court gave life imprisonment to the Siwan MP causing a wave of cheers among many of the surviving members of his victims.
Chhote Lal's family, while clearly happy over the turn of events, said they would have preferred death penalty for the RJD leader.
|
