Patna, Oct. 17: Asha Ranjan, widow of murdered Siwan journalist Rajdev Ranjan, today told The Telegraph that she has been living virtually under house arrest because of inadequate security arrangements despite the Supreme Court instructing the state government to provide her and her family all necessary protection.
Asha had petitioned the apex court to transfer the trial into the murder of her husband - who she alleges was killed at the behest of gangster-politician Shahabuddin - outside Bihar. On September 23, a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra had said in a written order: "...It is prima facie discernible that the petitioner who lives with two small children, after losing her husband and the developments that have taken place in... Siwan, is in a state of continuous fear.... We have directed both the Superintendent of Police and the Station House Officer so that the petitioner, a lady in distress, shall feel protected."
Asha said the administration has deployed only two constables - Gautam Kumar and Santosh Raj - to take care of her and her family.
"The lack of proper security is a matter of concern for me as I stay here with my eight-year-old daughter, who is studying in a local school," she said, adding that the guards often prevented them from going outside.
Her son is a Class XI student in Delhi.
To make matters worse for the family, one of the two constables was put under suspension on Sunday for dereliction of duty. Constable Raj went home during Dussehra without prior permission.
"As a result, I had to go without any security for a couple of days. As of now I have only one guard to take care of my security," Asha said.
The apex court had instructed the state government to provide four security guards for the family.
Siwan superintendent of police (SP) Saurabh Kumar Shah, however, said the security provided was adequate.
"Four security guards have been drafted for the family's security. While two are deployed at Hakam, the ancestral village of the slain journalist, two are with his wife in Siwan town," the SP said.
Asha said the security to her, instead of making her feel safe, was a source of headache because she had to vacate rooms in her house that she had rented out.
"It's a double whammy for a poor person like me," Asha said. "On the one hand, the officials asked my tenants to vacate the rooms, which was a source of income for the family, and on the other they asked me to make proper arrangements for the stay of the security guards."
The Supreme Court today directed the CBI to conclude the Rajdev murder probe within three months.
"The investigation has already been delayed due to late response of the CBI," Asha said. "The CBI took over the case in mid-September while my husband was murdered on May 13 this year."
Asha, who is a teacher at a government school in Siwan, said she did not expect a fair investigation until and unless Shahabuddin was shifted from Siwan district jail, where he was sent to after the apex court cancelled his bail on September 30.
"He (Shahabuddin) still enjoys immense clout. He will leave no stone unturned to influence the investigation," Asha said, demanding the state government immediately shift the don - who she says had hatched the conspiracy to kill her husband for writing against him - outside Bihar.
"I have again told my legal counsel to raise the matter regarding shifting of Shahabuddin from Siwan jail on the next date of hearing of my complaint filed in the Supreme Court," she said.
