Nitish aide denies links with arrested gangster's sister

JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha, a close confidante of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, today rubbished the charge made by opposition that he is allegedly close with the sister of a gangster arrested in connection with the murder case of two engineers in Darbhanga.
Jha in a statement clarified that he had helped Devhar castemen to which arrested Baheri block chief Munni Devi and her husband Sanjay Laldeo belonged and were part of delegation that met him in this regard.
"Due to sustained efforts, the Nitish Kumar government had accorded status of EBC to the Devhar caste in 2010," Jha, a former MLC who lost the Parliamentary elections from Darbhanga in 2014, said.

"I helped the caste and had no connection with any individual," he said rubbishing allegations of links with the arrested women and her husband.
Close on the heels of Madhepura MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav pointing fingers at Jha on the basis of a photograph showing the JD(U) leader with Munni Devi and her husband, Hindustani Awam Morcha chief Jitan Ram Manjhi had yesterday levelled charges against Jha of harbouring gangster Santosh Jha alleged to be behind the murder of two engineers in Darbhanga on December 26 last.
Jha said due to the kind gesture of CM Nitish Kumar, not only political participation of the Devhar caste has increased whose number must not be more than one lakh in and around Darbhanga, but many of their youth qualified for jobs.

He appealed to the political parties not to sully the image of the Devhar caste on the basis of involvement of one or two persons of that caste in crime and instead, continue to provide assistance in their upliftment.