Patna, March 8: State minority welfare minister Abdul Gafoor found himself in the eye of a controversy today after his "secret" meeting with gangster-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin in Siwan divisional jail on Sunday became public.

Shahabuddin, a former member of Parliament and RJD leader considered the terror of Siwan, is serving a life sentence for murder. He has more than three-dozen cases pending against him in Siwan district alone.

Gafoor and Harishankar Yadav, the RJD MLA from Raghunathpur in Siwan district, spent more than an hour inside the jail. There were other people with them as well. The "VIP guests" were served refreshments and tea in the official chamber of jail superintendent Radheshayam Suman, allegedly on Shahabuddin's instructions. Also present was Pappu Khan of Bettiah, younger brother of Shahabuddin's sharpshooter Zakir Mian who was killed in an encounter with the police.

A supporter of the Siwan strongman uploaded a photograph of the meeting on a social networking site today.

Initially, the Siwan jail superintendent feigned ignorance about the meeting. When confronted with evidence, he admitted that the minister had visited the jail around 4pm on Sunday. "He met the incarcerated leader (Shahabuddin) as a common visitor," superintendent Suman told The Telegraph.

Gafoor was more straightforward.

"I visited the jail to meet Shahabuddin, who is a mananiya (honourable) leader of the party," the minister said in Hindi. "I had gone to attend a function in Siwan and was staying in a government bungalow that is close to the prison. As I was there for quite some time I chose to meet him (Shahabuddin) in the prison."

Siwan district magistrate (DM) Mahendra Kumar said a two-member team would ascertain whether the meeting followed the prison manual.

"I have asked the sub-divisional officer and the sub-divisional police officer to inquire into the matter and submit a report," he said.

He did not say when the report would be submitted. "It will be done at the earliest and action, if any, will be initiated accordingly," the DM told The Telegraph over phone.

According to the prison manual, written permission is mandatory for a visitor. The visitor has to reveal his/her relation with the prisoner in the application form. The visitor is also photographed before meeting the prisoner.

But prisoners can't hold durbars as happened on Sunday, said a source in the prison directorate.

Such incidents demoralise prison officials, the source said: "We can't go against the wishes of the political masters beyond a certain level; nobody knows when they will become ministers and punish them (the public servants)."

Inspector-general (prisons) Anand Kishor has sought a report from the Siwan DM on the meeting.

Several Opposition leaders including Nand Kishore Yadav and Sushil Kumar Modi of the BJP pounced on the issue to allege that the ruling coalition leaders were in cahoots with gangsters. "Criminals are getting political patronage," said Nand Kishore. "The former MP is holding durbars with ministers and party leaders."

RJD chief Lalu Prasad said the Opposition was blowing the issue out of proportion. "Has he (Gafoor) committed any crime by meeting a party leader in jail," Lalu asked.

Lalu's son and deputy chief minister Tejaswi also defended Gafoor's visit, but added that everybody should follow the law.

During the RJD rule, Shahabuddin was notorious for holding durbars in prison. He would issue instructions to the police and administrative officials from inside the jail and threaten them with dire consequences if they did not obey.

"It was because of his fear that most of the businessmen would keep his photograph in shops and business establishments that time," recalled a Siwan BJP leader whose son was murdered, allegedly by Shahabuddin's henchmen.

Shahabuddin has been in jail since he was arrested from Delhi in November 2005 after a case lodged against him for carrying out an attack on a police team, including the then Siwan superintendent of police Bachhu Singh Meena. A raid on the former MP's ancestral house in Siwan's Pratappur had yielded seizure of sophisticated weapons, foreign currencies and deerskin. Last year, Shahabuddin was charged with plotting the murder of a prominent businessman's son who was an eyewitness in the double murder case. The RJD leader, who was recently granted bail by the Patna High Court in connection with another double murder case, was shifted to Bhagalpur central jail from Siwan last year on the ground that his presence in Siwan would affect the Assembly election. He was brought back to Siwan jail on November 24 last year.

During his stay in Bhagalpur jail, a host of leaders from Siwan would meet him.

"Those who he blessed from behind the bars won the election this time," claimed a staunch Shahabuddin supporter.

On Monday, the Gopalganj police seized an AK-54 rifle and other weapons from the Pratappur house of Abrain Mian, a Shahabuddin sharpshooter.

"Wait for some time," declared a close associate of Shahabuddin. "Saheb's (as Shahabuddin is called in Siwan) days will be back soon."