CBI takes custody of ex-RJD MP Shahabuddin over journalist's murder

New Delhi, May 29: The CBI on Monday took custody of former RJD MP Mohammed Shahabuddin in connection with the murder of Bihar-based journalist Rajdeo Ranjan, an official said.

Shahabuddin is now lodged in the Tihar Jail in New Delhi.

The former MP was, on May 26, named one of the 10 accused in the murder of Ranjan, who hailed from Bihar's Siwan district, by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The CBI is preparing to file a chargesheet on the basis of evidence collected by it, official sources said.

The case was handed over to the CBI in September last year after the slain journalist's widow Asha Ranjan and his father Radhe Krishna Chaudhary repeatedly alleged that Shahabuddin was behind the murder.

The suspicion over Shahbuddin's involvement deepened after names of two of his henchmen, Mohammad Kaif and Mohammad Javed, surfaced during investigation.

A chargesheet has been filed against six of the accused. Javed and Kaif are on bail and Shahabuddin has been made the 10th accused.

Police in Bihar had earlier claimed that the murder was the result of “premediated conspiracy”.

Sources claimed that the slain journalist had become a “threat” for criminals because of his news reports against the deteriorating law and order condition in Siwan.

Shahabuddin was in jail when the journalist was gunned down in Siwan while returning from office on May 13, 2016. He is facing 39 criminal cases including those of kidnapping and murder and was shifted to Tihar Jail on February 18.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Over 58 lakh names dropped from draft voter list in Bengal ahead of polls

News Network

December 16,2025

The deletion of over 58 lakh names from West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has sparked widespread concern and is likely to deepen political tensions in the poll-bound state.

According to the Election Commission, the revision exercise has identified 24 lakh voters as deceased, 19 lakh as relocated, 12 lakh as missing, and 1.3 lakh as duplicate entries. The draft list, published after the completion of the first phase of SIR, aims to remove errors and duplication from the electoral rolls.

However, the scale of deletions has raised fears that a large number of eligible voters may have been wrongly excluded. The Election Commission has said that individuals whose names are missing can file objections and seek corrections. The final voter list is scheduled to be published in February next year, after which the Assembly election announcement is expected. Notably, the last Special Intensive Revision in Bengal was conducted in 2002.

The development has intensified the political row over the SIR process. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress have strongly opposed the exercise, accusing the Centre and the Election Commission of attempting to disenfranchise lakhs of voters ahead of the elections.

Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar earlier this month, Banerjee urged people to protest if their names were removed from the voter list, alleging intimidation during elections and warning of serious consequences if voting rights were taken away.

The BJP, meanwhile, has defended the revision and accused the Trinamool Congress of politicising the issue to protect what it claims is an illegal voter base. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the ruling party fears losing power due to the removal of deceased, fake, and illegal voters.

The controversy comes amid earlier allegations by the Trinamool Congress that excessive work pressure during the SIR led to the deaths by suicide of some Booth Level Officers (BLOs), for which the party blamed the Election Commission. With the draft list now out, another round of political confrontation appears imminent.

As objections begin to be filed, the focus will be on whether the correction mechanism is accessible, transparent, and timely—critical factors in ensuring that no eligible voter is denied their democratic right ahead of a crucial election.

Comments