Monday, April 25 2005 14:44 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Siwan: Four cases have been registered against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) strongman and MP Mohammed Shahabuddin today (Apr 25, 2005) in connection with recovery of illegal firearms and animal skin from his ancestral house at Pratappur villge in Siwan district yesterday (Apr 24, 2005), a senior official said.

The cases were filed under Arms Act, Wild Life Protection act, Bihar State Electricity act and Transport act.

District Magistrate C K Anil, who is at loggerheads with Shahabuddin ever since he externed the latter for six months, just a few days before the February Assembly poll in Siwan, said that a large contingent of forces raided eleven houses, including that of the MP and seized arms and ammunition, two night vision devices, a walkie talkie, a deer, skins of a tiger and two deer, besides eight two-wheelers and three four-wheelers suspected to be stolen ones.

Anil said that the raids were conducted following complaints of alleged rampant illegal activities at the village.

He said that the raids continued for the second day today in Pratappur and list of seized items was being prepared.

Over 250 cartridges, four semi-automatic rifles, one revolver was also recovered during the raids, Anil added.

Four persons close to Shahabuddin, including his cousins, Maksud Mian, Jamaluddin Mian and Munshi Miyan, were also taken into custody during the raids.

An FIR was lodged against Shahabuddin a couple of days ago for allegedly furnishing false details of the criminal cases pending against him in his affidavit at the time of filing his nomination for Siwan Lok Sabha seat last year (2004).

The DM claimed that Shahabuddin had showed only 19 cases in the affidavit, as against 34 criminal cases pending against him.