The recent murder of a BJP worker, the third such incident in Siwan in nine months, has prompted local MP to take up the matter with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, alleging that the killings were “politically motivated to terrorise” the party ahead of Assembly elections in Bihar.
Daraunda BJP worker Prithvi Nath Singh (50), who had been active during the Lok Sabha elections and organised political meetings for his party, was shot dead in sleep during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday at Ramgarh Garauli village. Darauda police have lodged FIR against unidentified assailants.
Radhe Shyam, the police station in-charge, said: “There is no immediate provocation for Singh’s murder. We are shocked but are trying to find out if criminals were hired to kill the popular local BJP leader.” A senior Siwan police officer said the three back-to-back murders in nine months do have a trend and might well have carried out to send a message.
Siwan BJP MP Omprakash Yadav, who defeated former RJD MP Mohammed Sahabuddin’s wife twice, said: “Though law and order is a state subject, I have spoken to the Union home minister about grave situation in Siwan. These are political killings and need a thorough probe.”
In November, local BJP spokesperson Srikant Bhartiya was killed when he was returning from a wedding. The police have arrested a contract killer, Shailesh, from UP in the murder case. He told the police that he was given Rs 25 lakh by an influential person to kill the BJP MP’s spokesperson, who had played key role in Yadav’s victory against Hina Sahab.
On June 16 last year, another BJP workers Rajiv Roshan (35), also a key witness in the murder case of his two brothers in which Sahabuddin has been named, was killed while he was returning home.
Top state BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi told The Indian Express: “Three murders of BJP workers do hint at Sahabuddin’s influence from jail. We had recently released a special branch list in which the former RJD MP had listed 23 people in his hit list. Siwan episode looks ominous and poor reflection on law and order.”
Though Rajiv’s father Chanda Babu, who has been under pressure to leave Siwan, had accused involvement of Sahabuddin’s son Osama, no FIR was lodged against him. Roshan was the eyewitness to macabre killing his two younger brothers — Girish Raj (23) and Satish Raj (20) — in August 2004. Roshan had to record his statement as key witness in the case on June 19.
Accusing Sahabuddin of plotting his son’s murder, Chanda Babu, who has named Osama as one of the assailants in FIR (220/14) at Town police station, said he could recognise the assailants if they are “brought before him”. Osama (20), pursuing a law degree from a Nodia college, was in Siwan when the incident happened.
Siwan SP Vikas Burman, however, said the police had not got any clear evidence and hence, there was no need for police to interrogate the incarcerated former RJD MP’s son.
