Jamshedpur, Sept. 15: Criminal-turned-politician Md Shahabuddin, whose September 10 release from a Bihar jail after 11 years put JDU-RJD ties to a serious test, may turn up at a Jamshedpur court where a 27-year-old triple murder trial against him is pending.
The Bihar strongman, who created a flutter soon after walking out of jail by calling his sworn enemy Nitish Kumar a " paristhitiyon ke mukhya mantri (chief minister of circumstances)", has been summoned on September 20 by the court of first additional district judge.
The order was issued last month.
Senior advocate Kewal Kishan, who represents Shahabuddin, said the Siwan don was out on bail in the triple murder case registered with Jugsalai thana on February 2, 1989.
Shahabuddin (50) is one of the eight accused against whom a chargesheet was filed. The other seven were Birendra Singh, Saheb Singh, Dasrath Singh, Rama Singh, Kallu Singh, Paras Singh and Sushil Singh.
According to case records, Shahabuddin had attended hearings till 2005, making personal appearances at least thrice, but that stopped after he was arrested and lodged in Siwan jail. The court had served several production warrants to Siwan jail, but the prison authorities did not respond.
Three other accused - Birendra, Saheb and Dasrath - died during the early period of the trial.
Hence, the court of additional district judge P.P. Pandey set aside Shahabuddin from the case and went ahead with the trial of the remaining four accused, Rama, Kallu, Paras and Shushil.
The four were acquitted in March 2006 as no prosecution witness turned up to depose.
The triple murder case against Shahabuddin is still pending in the court of first additional district judge, who has fixed September 20 as the date of hearing.
"We assume that if Shahabuddin appears on September 20, he will have to depose under Section 313 of the CrPC (enabling an accused to depose), a procedure that is followed towards the fag end of a trial. As the other six accused have been acquitted, the court may take that verdict in account while dealing with Shahabuddin's case," defence lawyer Kishan told The Telegraph.
The case relates to the killings of Anand Rao, Janardhan Choubey and Pradeep Mishra in a gun attack near Tata Steel's powerhouse gate on Bistupur-Jugsalai Road within Jugsalai thana limits on February 2, 1989.
While Rao was an influential railway contractor, Choubey was his henchman and Mishra was then president of Jamshedpur Youth Congress Committee. Two others, Anand Rao's relative K.T. Rao and Pradeep Mishra's bodyguard Bramheswar Pathak, had sustained bullet injuries.
Later, investigations established that the murders were plotted by the Singhs - Birendra, Saheb, Dasrath, Paras, Kallu, Rama and Shushil - over business rivalry with Rao, while the shooter was Shahabuddin, whom they had hired from Siwan.
Mishra was not a target, but was killed because he was travelling in the same car as Rao and Choubey.
Rao, his relative and Choubey were coming from Bistupur towards Tatanagar railway station. On the way, they came across Mishra, who was getting his bike repaired. As they knew each other well, Rao offered a lift to Mishra and his bodyguard.
As the car slowed down at a speed-breaker near Tata Steel's powerhouse gate, another car, allegedly with Shahabuddin, came from behind and rained bullets on Rao and Co.
