SC verdict on Shahabuddin's bail on Friday

New Delhi, Sept 29: The Supreme Court will pronounce on Friday its order on the Bihar government’s plea challenging the bail granted to RJD strongman Mohammad Shahabuddin in the Rajiv Roshan murder case. The September 7 order of the Pat High Court granting bail to Shahabuddin was initially challenged by one Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons — third one being Rajiv Roshan — were killed allegedly by Shahabuddin’s henchmen. The bench of Justice Piki Chandra Ghose and Justice Amitava Roy gave the ruling at the conclusion of arguments. Shahabuddin’s counsel Shekhar phade told the court that although cognizance of the case was taken on February 25, 2015, he had not been served the charge-sheet to date, despite its being a mandatory requirement under crimil law.

phade on Thursday told the court that it was the Bihar government that was delaying the trial, and the shifting of Shahabuddin from Siwan to Bhagalpur Central Jail on May 18, 2016, was also a ploy to that end.

Criticising the alleged delays engineered by the state government, phade said that it was contrary to the principle of tural justice, as Shahabuddin was not given a hearing. “It is a conscious attempt on their (Bihar government) part that the trial should not proceed. The moment the trial starts, it will not stand, as there is no evidence of alleged conspiracy against me (Shahabuddin),” phade told the court. (IANS)