Murdered journalist exposed wrongdoings of Shahabuddin: BJP

With the shocking murders of two scribes in Bihar and Jharkhand in a span of 24 hours including of a senior journalist from a leading daily, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday accused the state government of failing spectacularly in managing law and order, adding that that the senior scribe had paid the price for exposing the wrongdoings of former RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, who is serving time for charges including kidnapping and murder.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told ANI that as far as law was concerned, it can be seen consistently that there is a situation of lawlessness in Bihar and the perpetrators are mostly the same people who should be protecting the law.

"We have seen how their own MLA was caught abducting and raping a minor, we have also seen one of their lawmakers molesting a girl in a railway station and only a few days ago, their MLC Manorama Devi's son Rocky Yadav killed Aditya in cold blood," he said

"And today we come to know that one of the bureau chief of a leading newspaper has been killed point blank in Siwan, a place where he use to expose the wrongdoings of RJD and particularly MP Shahabuddin as news reports are saying," Patra added.

Asserting that it was a matter of grave concern when the freedom of the press was being choked and that journalists were killed for trying to project the wrongdoings of politicians, he said that complete lawlessness was rampant in Bihar under the current state government.

"Naturally it is not just Jungle Raj but Maha Jungle Raj. Even the jungle has a rule but in Bihar there seems to be no rule," the BJP leader said.

Meanwhile, two people have been detained in connection with the murder of senior journalist Rajdeo Ranjan in Siwan.

Siwan Superintendent of Police told ANI that the two are being grilled to procure more details regarding the shocking murder.

Ranjan, a journalist with Hindi daily Hindustan was shot dead by criminals near the Siwan railway station.

Two bullets were fired at the Siwan bureau chief of the daily that hit on his head and neck. He was shifted to a hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.

According to police, five motorcycle-borne criminals were waiting for Ranjan, who was walking down the road to his home, and shot him twice.

The ruling party JD (U) leader Ajay Alok, told ANI that the government would nab the culprits within 48 hours. "No matter who the criminals are, the government is determined to hunt them down within 48 hours.