The Hindu : National : Shift Shahabuddin from Siwan jail: Election Commission

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 11, 2005

National

National

Shift Shahabuddin from Siwan jail: Election Commission

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI, FEB. 10 . Taking suo motu action, the Election Commission today directed the Bihar Chief Secretary to take immediate steps to shift the Rashtriya Janata Dal Member of Parliament, Mohammed Shahabuddin, from Siwan jail, to any other prison in the State where the first phase of elections had been completed.

In a communication sent to the Chief Secretary this evening, the Commission said shifting of Mr. Shahabuddin from the Siwan jail was necessary to ensure free and fair polls in the second phase of elections as he had been holding "durbars" both inside and outside the prison. Commission sources said that the State Government was told that he could be lodged in Beur Jail in Patna.

The sources said that the Commission feared that the presence of Mr. Shahabuddin, facing several criminal charges, in his home district Siwan might vitiate the poll process in the Assembly constituencies falling under Siwan on February 15 and 23. It was pointed out that Mr. Shahabuddin was meeting various political leaders inside and outside the jail and on February 6 he had participated in a `nagarpalika' meeting though he was supposed to be in jail on that day. Hence it was felt necessary that he should be shifted out of the Siwan jail.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National