The Bihar government on Friday moved the Supreme Court seeking cancellation of RJD strongman Mohammed Shahbuddin’s bail. Shahabuddin, a former lawmaker of Lalu Yadav's RJD or Rashtriya Janata Dal, walked out of jail last weekend after 11 years. He faces 40 criminal cases including murder, kidnapping and extortion. The 49-year-old was jailed in 2005 when Nitish Kumar first came to power, ending the RJD and Lalu Yadav's 15-year rule. An embarrassed JD(U) leadership was forced to clarify that RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav do not share Shahabuddin’s view on Nitish.

Party sources said that the chief minister has also expressed displease at Shahabuddin’s comments. The Siwan native, Chandrakeshwar Prasad, has alleged that three of his sons were murdered by the criminal convict. Chandrakeshwar's lawyer Prashant Bhushan told the Supreme Court that that the Patna High Court made a mistake releasing Shahabuddin from jail. Bhushan said that a free and fair trial wouldn't be possible with the history-sheeter, that is, Shahabuddin, out on bail. "Witnesses won't depose against Shahabuddin out of fear," Bhushan told the Supreme Court.

"I didn't ask for 'chanda' (donation) as Shahabuddin is saying, I'm asking for government help," Chandrakeshwar said. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had yesterday demanded the immediate arrest of Shahabuddin and accused the former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) parliamentarian of being the main conspirator in the murder of journalist Rajdeo Ranjan.