Tuesday, April 26 2005 13:39 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: The Bihar Government has come out in strong defence of the Siwan district magistrate for externing Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) strongman and Lok Sabha member Mohammed Shahabuddin as the administration lodged six cases against him in connection with the recovery of illegal firearms, animal skins and stolen vehicles during a raid at his native Pratappur village.

Chief Secretary K A H Subramanian today (Apr 26, 2005) confirmed that the State Government had sent District Magistrate C K Anil's reply to the privilege notice against him by Shahabuddin to Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.

''We have given a noting approving and justifying the action of the district magistrate,'' he said adding the State Government had requested the Speaker to drop the breach of privilege proceedings against Anil.

Anil had in his reply termed Shahabuddin "a habitual offender" who was involved in 34 criminal cases and now in 40 after six more cases were lodged against him following the raids at his ancestral house at Pratappur.

He justified his order externing the RJD MP from the district limits for six months saying his presence was a "threat to peace" in the area.

Official sources said the district administration had prepared a list of the articles seized during the raids, which would be sent to the President, Union Home Minister, Governor and the Chief Secretary.

The raids, which were conducted jointly by the Special Task Force (STF) and the district police following complaints of rampant illegal activities at Pratappur, began on Sunday (Apr 24, 2005) ended yesterday (Apr 25, 2005).

A large contingent of forces had raided 11 houses including that of the MP and seized arms and ammunitions, two night vision devices, a walkie-talkie, a deer, skins of a tiger and two deer besides eight stolen two-wheelers and three four-wheelers.