Siwan, Aug 29: A local court here today granted regular bail to incarcerated RJD MP Mohammed Shahabuddin in a case related to assaulting a police officer here in 2001. The bail was granted to Shahabuddin and another co-accused Thakur Manoj Kumar Rana by first class judicial magistrate Prem Kumar Ojha after hearing bail applications moved by their counsel Ishtdeo Tiwary. Today's order would, however, not mean that the controversial MP would be out of jail as he is yet to get bail in three other cases. The case relates to the assault of a deputy Superintendent of Police, Ashwini Kumar, at an examination Centre in Siwan on January 18, 2001, when he had gone to arrest an accused Manoj Kumar Rana alias Pappu in a case of kidnapping and murder.

Shahabuddin and his supporters apart from manhandling the DSP allegedly opened fire to scare the officer and the public.

An FIR was filed against Shahabuddin and five of his supporters in the case by another DSP Sholi Kumar on January 18, 2001. State Director General of Police D P Ojha had on August 8 ordered the arrest of Shahabuddin and others accused in the case.

The RJD MP is yet to get bail in two cases of kidnapping and suspected murder of CPI-ML workers, Munna Chaudhary and Chotelal Gupta and another case of assualt on a sub-divisional police officer Sanjeev Kumar on March 15, 2001.
Shahabuddin had on August 13 surrendered before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) who sent him to judicial custody.
Bureau Report