Koda: Timely intervention?

Ranchi, Feb. 1: The chief minister’s recommendation for a CBI probe into the mysterious circumstances under which Jharia MLA Kunti Singh’s son Rajeev Ranjan has been missing for the last four-and-a-half years, is likely to expose the real face of several politicians.

For the last several years Kunti Singh has tirelessly been demanding a CBI probe into her missing son’s case. She even repeatedly raised the issue in the Assembly, but to no avail. Technically, she still happens to be a BJP member, but even the erstwhile NDA government did not take her seriously.

The Madhu Koda government too woke up only after don Brajesh Singh, currently in CBI custody, reportedly admitted his hand in Rajeev’s killing. Before this while probing the Pramod Singh murder case, the CBI had arrived at the conclusion that Rajeev was no more alive.

Coal merchant Pramod Singh was gunned down by motorcycle-borne assailants on October 3, 2003, while on way home from Dhanbad railway station. Another coal merchant Suresh Singh arranged for his “transportation” to a nearby hospital. Before dying, Pramod told the magistrate on duty that he was shot at by Rajeev at the behest of latter’s uncle Ramadhir Singh. He added that while Ramadhir was driving the motorcycle, Rajeev opened fire. At that time Rajeev’s another uncle Bachcha Singh happened to be a minister in the state cabinet. When the police reached Singh mansion and the adjoining Kunti Niwas, Rajeev somehow managed to flee to Calcutta by road. The police had to face Bachcha Singh’s ire, when they tried to arrest his brother Ramadhir.

Later, the case was handed over to CBI, which detected that Suresh was actually involved in Pramod’s murder. Suresh even had to go to jail in this connection and is currently on bail. It is believed that Brajesh had played an important role in Pramod’s murder.

Later, Brajesh became close to a top BJP leader from Uttar Pradesh. His close relatives too have managed to MLAs in Uttar Pradesh. The top politician, who so long used his political prowess to provide smooth grounds for Brajesh in Orissa, recently advised him to surrender and try his luck in politics.