Patna, May 5
In what could perhaps embarrass RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, a local court held his party MP Mohammad Shahabuddin from Siwan guilty for the kidnapping and murder CPI-ML activist Chhote Lal in 1999.
This is the second time the controversial MP has been convicted in a criminal case. In March this year, a special court in Siwan had awarded two years’ imprisonment to Shahabuddin for assaulting another CPI-ML worker in 1998.
Additional district and sessions judge of Siwan Gyaneshwar Prasad Srivastava pronounced Shahabuddin guilty under Section 364 (kidnapping or abduction in order to murder) of the IPC.
The quantum of sentence will be announced on May 8.
Shahabuddin has been facing around 34 cases, including those of murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and violation of the Foreign Exchange Act and the Arms Act.
Earlier last month, the Bihar government had stripped the incarcerated MP of special treatment in jail as a VIP prisoner. The government issued orders to stop giving him facilities meant for divisional prisoners.
Earlier this year, the Patna High Court directed that all pending cases against him be tried by a special court set up by the state government in the Siwan Jail.
