Bihar journalist's murder: Main conspirator surrenders

Laddan Mian, suspected to be the main conspirator in the killing of journalist Rajdeo Ranjan in Bihar's Siwan district, surrendered on Thursday, police said.

Laddan Mian is also considered close to jailed former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Mohammad Shahabuddin.

"He has surrendered before the chief judicial magistrate in Siwan district court," a district police officer said.

Soon after he surrendered, the court remanded him to judicial custody, police said.

However, Laddan Mian has denied his involvement in Rajdeo's killing.

"I have nothing to do with Rajdeo's killing. I was wrongly framed in the case by police," he told the media before being sent to jail.

According to police, Laddan Mian was wanted in the connection with killing of Rajdeo following five shooters arrested by police last month revealed that it was he who had contracted them to kill the journalist.

Rajdeo Ranjan, the Siwan bureau chief of Hindi newspaper Hindustan, which is part of HT Media, was shot dead at a busy market near Station Road on May 14.

Police in Siwan said that the killing was part of a pre-planned conspiracy.

The Bihar government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has already recommended a CBI probe into the journalist's killing.

--IANS

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