Patna: Special Task Force (STF) personnel arrested an associate of the controversial Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Mohammed Shahabuddin on August 4 even as they stepped up raids to nab the Lok Sabha member from Siwan and others, days after Bihar police chief D P Ojha ordered his arrest in a kidnapping case.

SP (STF) Vinay Kumar Singh said that Shahabuddin's supporter Jawahar Choudhary, a co-accused in the case, was arrested from his house at his native village under Mufassil police station in Siwan early on August 4. Singh said raids were being conducted at various places to nab the other accused in the case; Munn Choudhary, Manoj Das, Rama Choudhary and Manoj Srivastava.

A Siwan court had on August 1 turned down a police plea for attaching Shahabuddin's property as the beleaguered MP filed an anticipatory bail application in the district court that would be heard on August 7.

The MP is evading arrest despite the warrant issued against him by a local court in the Munna Chaudhary kidnapping case in January 2001.

The Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) allowed the police to publish a written proclamation asking Shahabuddin to appear before the court in a month's time from the date of issuing of such proclamation in accordance with section 82 of the CRPC.

PTI