Thursday, February 24 2005 14:42 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Controversial Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Lok Sabha member, Mohammed Shahabuddin was today (Feb 24, 2005) released from high security Beur jail in Patna, after Chief Minister Rabri Devi set aside Siwan district magistrate (DM) C K Anil's order detaining her party MP in judicial custody under Bihar Control of Crime Act.

As the election in Siwan was over, Rabri Devi ordered the Sate home commissioner, Girish Shankar, to issue an official notification paving the way for release of Shahabuddin, highly placed sources said in Patna.

Anil had on Monday (Feb 22,2005) ordered detention of Shahabuddin in judicial custody in Beur jail till February 28 when the election on process would be complete.

Siwan DM had detained him under the Bihar Control of Crime Act, 1982.

Earlier, the Patna High Court had on February 18 granted regular bail to the RJD MP in connection with the abduction-cum-killing of the CPI-ML (Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist), Munna Choudhury.

The Siwan DM had also banned Shahabuddin from the district for one year.

The (Bharatiya Janata Party) BJP national vice-president, S K Modi, described the CM's release order as 'a blatant misuse of power'. ''Shahabuddin has been released from Beur jail also in violation of the Model Code as the election process in Siwan is yet to be complete,'' Modi said.

''The counting for Siwan is to take place on February 27 and there are possibilities of the election commission (EC) ordering re-poll in booth where electoral malpractices were reported in Siwan and in the given situation, the release of the RJD MP, who is a terror in Siwan, is highly objectionable,'' he said and urged the election commission to look into the matter.

He claimed that the 'abrupt' release of Shahabuddin by Rabri Devi also vindicated his party's stand that the RJD was 'harbouring and patronising the criminals in Bihar'.