Politics in poll-bound Bihar went on the boil on Monday after murder charges were slapped against six Rashtriya Janata Dal leaders, including party chief Lalu Prasad’s sons Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav and Anil Kumar Sadhu, in the killing of a former Dalit leader of the RJD in Purnea.
Shakti Malik, a former secretary of the SC (Scheduled Castes)/ST (Scheduled Tribes) cell of the RJD, was killed on Sunday morning at his home in Purnea, 320km northeast of the state capital Patna.
The RJD cried foul and said that the case had been registered at the behest of the ruling powers in the state, and that the party would not be cowed down.
Shakti was planning to contest from Raniganj (SC) Assembly constituency in Araria district, and had recently released a video alleging that Tejashwi and Anil had demanded a donation of Rs 50 lakh to provide him a party ticket to contest the polls, which he refused.
Tejashwi is the Opposition leader and will lead the Grand Alliance in the three-phase elections in the state from October 28 to November 7. Anil is a son-in-law of Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, but quit the Lok Janshakti Party a few years ago.
In the footage that is circulating on social media platforms, Shakti also accused Tejashwi of hurling abuses on caste and threatening to ensure that he will never become an MLA. The Telegraph could not verify the authenticity of the video. It is also unclear whether Shakti left the RJD himself, or was removed from the party.
The FIR was registered at Khazanchi Hat police station in Purnea on the statement of Shakti’s wife Khushboo Devi. Purnea superintendent of police Vishal Sharma said investigations were being conducted on different aspects in the case with CCTV footage and technical evidence being accessed.
Police sources also said that a call from a landline number at former chief minister Rabri Devi’s house is among the things that are being probed in connection with the murder.
A call allegedly went from the number to one of the accused.
“My husband was taking care of our youngest son when three persons with faces completely covered entered my house and shot him dead. I suspect Tejashwi, Tej Pratap, Anil Kumar Sadhu, Kalu Paswan, Manoj Paswan and Sunita Devi to be involved in the killing,” Khushboo told mediapersons.
“He (Anil) wanted to contest from Raniganj and a fight was going on over the ticket. Tejashwi was demanding Rs 50 lakh for it. Kalu had threatened him with dire consequences,” she added.
RJD Rajya Sabha member and national spokesperson Manoj Jha asserted that the FIR was a condemnable move registered at the behest of the ruling powers in the light of the approaching elections.
Attacking chief minister Nitish Kumar, Jha said: “Chief minister ji, what drama are you doing? The police and the administration are yours. Hang him (Tejashwi) but only after investigation. Ensure an impartial probe and hang Tejashwi if he is found guilty. But do not make it a political and media investigation. Do not indulge in headlines management.”
Jha asserted that the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was indulging in dirty tricks after being shaken by Tejashwi’s statements on the Hathras gang rape and murder.
He also said that the telephone number from which a call purportedly went to one of the accused was removed from Rabri’s residence in 2016, but a caller identity application still shows it as belonging to Tejashwi.
“The said phone number was allotted to the environment and forest department in 2018 and then taken away in 2019. It should be a matter of investigation as to who is now using that number.
“The government has stooped so low that it is now getting false cases registered,” the RJD spokesperson said.
JDU leader and spokesperson Sanjay Singh said the video released by Shakti and his subsequent murder points towards a deeper conspiracy and “shows that Tejashwi has no love for the upper castes, backward castes or the Scheduled Castes. He has love only for his family and money”.
