Lalu Yadav's Son Not Involved In Journalist's Murder: CBI To Supreme Court

Rajdev Ranjan, who worked with a vernacular daily, was murdered in Bihar's Siwan in May last year. Tej Pratap Yadav, who was the state's health minister at the time, got named in the case after a photograph surfaced that showed him with murder accused Mohammad Kaif and Mohammad Javed.

All India | Edited by | Updated: March 22, 2018 11:43 IST
Lalu Yadav's Son Not Involved In Journalist's Murder: CBI To Supreme Court

Rajdev Ranjan working with a vernacular daily was shot dead on May 2017 in Siwan (File)

New Delhi:  Bihar leader Tej Pratap Yadav -- the son of veteran leader and former chief minister Lalu Yadav -- has received a clean chit from the Central Bureau of Investigation in a case involving the murder of a journalist. The journalist, Rajdev Ranjan, who worked with a vernacular daily, was murdered in Siwan in May last year. Tej Pratap Yadav, who was the state's health minister at the time, got linked to the case after a photograph surfaced that showed him with murder accused Mohammad Kaif and Mohammad Javed.

The top court ordered the CBI to investigate the matter after the journalist's wife approached it, asking that the case be transferred to Delhi Influential people appeared to be involved and she feared for her family's safety, she had told the court.  

The court also sent a notice to Tej Pratap Yadav, asking that he explain the photograph.

Today, the agency told the top court that there was no criminal act by Tej Pratap Yadav and the photograph was taken before the murder.
 
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Alleged shooter Mohammad Kaif was photographed with Bihar minister Tej Pratap Yadav (right).

In other photographs, the two alleged killers were also seen in company of Mohammad Shahabuddin, Bihar strongman and politician, who has been named in the chargesheet and is currently in jail. 

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The court disposed of the case, saying if Asha Devi finds any evidence of criminal act against Tej Pratap Yadav, she can approach the High Court.

Tej Pratap Yadav had rubbished allegations of links with Mohammad Kaif, calling it a BJP conspiracy. "They (the BJP) bring some photograph from somewhere and make some false allegations. How would I know who is a shooter from the 1,000 people who click photos with me?" Mr Yadav had said.