Muzaffarpur: A special CBI court in Muzaffarpur has delivered its verdict in the nine-year-old murder case of journalist Rajdev Ranjan. The court convicted three of the accused while acquitting three others. The case relates to the killing of Rajdev Ranjan, bureau chief of a daily newspaper, who was shot dead on May 13, 2016 in Siwan. He was returning from a hospital visit when the attackers opened fire, and he was hit by two bullets, dying instantly.
Rajdev Ranjan’s wife, Asha Yadav, had filed a case at the local police station. During investigations, the name of former Siwan MP Mohammad Shahabuddin came up, but he died during the COVID-19 pandemic and could not be tried. Six other accused faced the session trial. They included Azharuddin alias Laddan Mian, Rohit Kumar Soni, Vijay Kumar Gupta, Sonu Kumar Gupta, Rajesh Kumar, and Rishu Kumar Jaiswal. Vijay Kumar Gupta was out on bail, while the others remained in jail. One more accused was a juvenile, and his case is being tried separately in the Special Juvenile Court.
The trial lasted around eight years, during which the CBI recorded statements from 69 witnesses and presented 111 pieces of evidence. The accused were also questioned with 183 interrogation sessions. The trial was initially held in the Special Court for MP/MLA cases in Patna before being transferred to the Special CBI Court in Muzaffarpur. On Saturday, District and Additional Sessions Judge Namita Singh pronounced the verdict.
The court acquitted Azharuddin Baig alias Laddan Miyan, Rajesh Kumar, and Rishu Kumar Jaiswal due to lack of evidence. Vijay Kumar Gupta, Sonu Kumar Gupta, and Rohit Kumar Soni were convicted for the murder. The verdict brings some closure to the family of Rajdev Ranjan and highlights the challenges of long and complex trials in cases involving politically sensitive crimes.
