Patna, Jan. 6: The going just got tougher for RJD leader Mohammad Shahabuddin after charges were framed against him in the Rajiv Roshan murder case.

Rajiv, the sole eyewitness in the 2004 murder of his two brothers - Satish Raj and Girish Raj - was killed in Siwan on June 16, 2014.

A delay in framing the charges in the case had led to Shahabuddin's release from jail on September 10 last year after the Patna High Court granted him bail.

Later, the former MP had to surrender before a Siwan court when the Supreme Court cancelled his bail after the father of the deceased, Chandrakeshwar Prasad alias Chanda Babu, challenged the high court order.

The charges against Shahabuddin were framed yesterday in the court of additional district and sessions judge V.K. Shukla, who has also been made special judge (prison) of the special court constituted by the state to conduct speedy trial of the accused in the Rajiv murder case.

Shahabuddin was present in court at the time of framing of the charges. The former RJD MP from Siwan has been charged with conspiring the murder of Rajiv from inside jail three days before he was scheduled to depose before the court in the case related to kidnapping and subsequent murder of his two brothers - Girish Raj and Satish Raj.

Shahabuddin's counsel Abhay Kumar Rajan told the court that his client was lodged in the Siwan district jail when motorbike-borne criminals gunned down Rajiv near the DAV College turning in Siwan town. Moreover, he said, Rajiv had deposed before the trial court and got his statement recorded, so Shahabuddin should not be blamed for the murder outside the prison.

Siwan additional public prosecutor Raghubir Singh, however, countered Shahabuddin's counsel. He alleged that Rajiv was killed at Shahabuddin's behest, as he was the sole eyewitness in the double-murder case. Public prosecutor Jai Prakash Singh backed his assistant and requested the special court to frame charges against the accused under sections 302 (murder) and 120 (B) (conspiracy). The court allowed the prosecution to produce all witnesses in the case.

Raghubir said the court has fixed the next date of hearing on January 19. It directed the prosecution to produce witnesses that day.

Siwan acting superintendent of police Rajesh Kumar said speedy trial cell officials have been asked to keep a tab on the development in the case and assist the prosecution. "I'm monitoring the development," he said over phone from Siwan.

Sources said Shahabuddin's son Osama Sahab was also made accused in the FIR lodged by Chanda Babu. However, the police gave Osama a clean chit as they failed to establish the charges against him.