Former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Mohammed Shahbuddin has been sentenced to life in prison in a kidnap and murder case dating back to 2011.
The criminal-turned-politician, who was convicted in a kidnap case in 2007 and hence cannot contest elections any more, has been lodged in Siwan central jail in Bihar in connection with several other criminal cases lodged against him.
Additional District Judge Ajay Kumar Srivastava, who had on Wednesday pronounced Shahabuddin and three others — Rajkumar Sah, Sheikh Aslam and Arif Hussain — guilty of murder, kidnapping for ransom, and criminal conspiracy, among other charges, on Friday awarded the life term to all four. Shahabuddin was also fined Rs 20,000.
It all began when three brothers were Sah, Aslam and Hussain kidnapped brothers Girish, Satish and Rajeev Bhushan on 16 August, 2014. While Girish and Satish were killed, Rajeev managed to escape and became the sole eyewitness in the case.
Their mother Kalawati Devi lodged an FIR accusing Sah, Aslam and Hussain of murdering her sons. Shahbuddin's name cropped in the investigation that followed, and he was also made an accused in the case.
As it dragged on, Rajeev was murdered by unidentified assailants on 16 June, 2014.
The RJD man had been elected to the Lok Sabha four times between 1996 and 2008. However, his reputation has a criminal was much bigger.
Known to have baited the police more than once with his arrogant attitude, Shahbuddin got a taste of his own medicine in 2001 after he and his men beat up cops who had come to arrest local RJD leader Manoj Kumar.
The policemen called in reinforcements, and fought a pitched battle at Shabuddin's house. Although he and Kumar escaped, two policemen and eight ohters died in the gunfight.
The police subsequently found a lot of weapons, including three AK-47s that were being used by those firing at the cops.
