The Warning shot

Chandrashekhar was even warned at JNU, just a week before he was killed. ‘‘The maximum they can do is kill me,’’ Chandrashekhar dismissed the threat and headed for Siwan. Killed he was on March 31, 1997, in daylight, in the heart of Siwan. It was a warning to anyone who dared to defy.

The case is under trial in a session’s court in Patna after the CBI chargesheeted six people, including Shahabuddin, who is accused of conspiring and directing the killing.

THE CBI was entrusted with the investigation following a series of student protests in Delhi. As soon as news of the murder reached Delhi, JNU students lay siege to the Bihar Niwas in Delhi where RJD chief Laloo Prasad was staying.

What followed then led to another CBI case which charged Laloo’s brother-in-law Sadhu Yadav for shooting at student agitators using a carbine snatched from a policeman. That case is under trial in a Delhi sessions court.

Meanwhile, the CBI chargesheet on the murder case says ‘‘the investigation has brought forth the rivalry between Chandrashekhar and Mohd Shahabuddin as the motive behind the murder.’’

‘‘Investigation has also disclosed that accused Dhruv Jaiwal, Rustam Mian, Sheikh Munna, Ilias Waris and Mohd Riazuddin had deep rooted criminal nexus and association with Mohd Shahabuddin.’’

Dhruv was arrested from the house of the MP on February 21, 1998. ‘‘All of them had criminal antecedents and were involved in a number of cases of murder, arson, booth capturing etc in Siwan district along with Mod Shahabuddin,’’ the chargesheet says.

ON the day of the incident, Chandrashekhar and other leaders of the CPI-ML were campaigning for a Bihar Bandh. Chandrashekhar, Shiv Narain Yadav and Bhigurashen Patel reached the JP statue junction in Siwan at 4 pm to address a public meeting. The accused were waiting and began firing indiscriminately as soon as the victims reached in a tempo.

The three were killed and so was a bystander. Eight years on, the case has not concluded yet. But unlike many murder cases in which witnesses retract their statement, in this one, most have stood their ground in court.

Shahabuddin got bail in the case from the Patna High Court though the other accused are in prison. However, in a major blow to the prosecution, Rustam Mian, second accused in the case, escaped from police custody in February 2005.

He was being brought from Siwan to Patna.

All witnesses of the prosecution have deposed and now it is the turn of the defence to produce witnesses. Once that is that done, the court will declare its verdict. It’s one that the student community in Delhi eagerly awaits.