Patna, October 16
Union minister of state for HRD and senior RJD leader M.A. Fatmi was today charged by a group of criminals, including a chargesheeted ward councillor, with offering a "supari" of Rs 5 lakh to eliminate the deputy mayor of Darbhanga, Badrujama Khan, alias Bobby Khan.
Based on a tip-off, the district police of Darbhanga last night arrested six criminals, including elected ward councillor Ayanullah Khan, already facing two criminal charges, in connection with the alleged plot to kill Badrujama Khan.
Talking to the media today, DSP (town), Darbhanga, Parveen Kumar, said the criminals made this sensational revelation, implicating Fatmi, during the interrogation.
He informed that the alleged conspiracy was reportedly the fallout of a political rivalry after Badrujama Khan dared to defy Fatmi, known as the uncrowned king of Darbhanga, and contest against his choice of candidate at the recently held election to the post of deputy mayor. Badrujama defeated Fatmi’s candidate in the fray.
Badrujama belonged to the ruling JD(U).
Asked whether any FIR was already lodged against Fatmi in the case, the DSP said that the administration had decided to send a senior official to cross-check this revelation from Fatmi in order to corroborate the charges following which the next step would be
taken. "We are looking into all aspects of the case," he added.
On his part, Badrujama alleged that soon after his election, Fatmi convened a meeting involving his close confidants, involving Ayanullah Khan and Geeta Singh, both ward councillors of Darbhanga, where they decided to eliminate him.
Citing the reason for being
targeted, Badrujama said, “The plot was hatched owing to the fact that the BJP-JD(U) was able to wrest total control of the Dharbhanga municipal corporation. He added that honest police officials had been eliminated in the recent past and felt that an inquiry should be ordered to find out the truth.” Praveen Kumar said that besides the arrested ward councillor Ayanullah Khan, the rest five were known as hardcore criminals. The police also recovered arms and ammunition from them.
The development involving Fatmi came close after the Patna collectorate witnessed a bizarre incident last night when RJD MLC Azad Gandhi allegedly roughed up a magistrate, Awdhesh Kumar, in the latter’s official chamber.
The police said that Azad Gandhi had gone to the office of Awdhesh Kumar to see the voters’ list meant for the Graduate constituency, and in the process he had a tiff with Kumar.
After the police was summoned, the magistrate lodged a complaint, stating that the MLC had obstructed him in discharging his official duty. Gandhi,
however, counter-charged that the magistrate had snatched his mobile phone. The police was investigating the case.
Both incidents involving the party MP Fatmi and MLC Azad Gandhi understandably landed the RJD supremo and railways minister Lalu Prasad in an embarrassing situation when he was frantically touring every nook and corner of the state to mobilise support for his proposed "Chetwani"
(warning) rally against the Nitish government on October 28.
