Minister given notice over killing

Court seeks explanation from Lalu’s elder son in connection with Bihar journalist’s murder

The Indian Supreme Court yesterday issued a notice to Bihar health minister Tej Pratap Yadav in connection with the murder of a local journalist, Rajdep Ranjan.

In its notice, the court asked Yadav to explain how an alleged shooter wanted in the case was spotted with him. Yadav is the elder son of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad who himself has been convicted in the multimillion dollar fodder scam.

The issuance of notice has come as a big setback for the RJD chief, who is now trying hard to settle his children in politics after he was disqualified from contesting elections for his conviction in the fodder scam.

Prasad, whose RJD is a coalition partner in the ruling Nitish Kumar government in Bihar, is an accused in at least five cases of fodder scam now in various stages of trial.

The apex court issued the notice to Prasad’s minister son while hearing a petition filed by journalist’s widow Asha Ranjan who urged the court to transfer the case to Delhi saying she may not get a fair trial in Bihar.

She also urged the court to monitor the trial at its own level. The journalist, who was the district bureau chief of prominent Hindi daily Hindustan, was killed in cold blood by assailants on a motorcycle in May this year.

The notice was served on the health minister shortly after a photo of him with Mohammad Kaif, alleged shooter in the murder who surrendered in a local court this week, went viral.