Bihar journalist’s murder: Police question 63 visitors who met Shahabuddin in jail, seize cellphones

“We have seized 43 cellphones from visitors and are verifying them. If some of these cellphones have any incriminating details or (the numbers) have been purchased against fake addresses, cases will be filed against the users,” said Superintendent of Police Saurav Kumar Sah.

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While the District Magistrate Mahendra Kumar denied that raids were conducted inside the jail premises, sources in the police said that an inspecting team searched Shahabuddin’s ward, but did not find any mobile phone.

They also said that four visitors were detained for leads in the murder case.

Police suspect that some calls were exchanged from cellphones used by inmates inside the jail, but they are not sure if they were made to the unidentified inmate by suspected main shooter Laddan Mian or by his aides.

Laddan left Siwan with his family soon after the journalist’s murder.

Sources said that police have been trying to establish if one Raish Mian, a close aide of Shahabuddin who is also lodged in the same jail, was involved in the murder.

The case has been already recommended for a probe by the CBI, which will take some time to take over from state police.