Shahabuddin in Patna's Beur jail en route to Tihar

Patna: Controversial RJD leader Mohammad Shahabuddin reached Patna on Saturday en route Delhi where he would be lodged in Tihar jail in accordance with the direction of the Supreme Court.

"In obedience to apex court direction, Shahabuddin has been brought to Patna this morning. He has been kept in Beur central jail from where he would be taken to Delhi's Tihar jail," Inspector General (Prisons) Anand Kishore said.

In reply to a query as whether Shahabuddin would be taken to Delhi by flight or Rajdhani express train, Kishore refused to divulge anything on the issue saying that "We are keeping it (the transit plan of Shahabuddin) a secret as we did while bringing him to Patna from Siwan."

"Even in Siwan, nobody knew except Siwan DM, SP, IG (STF) and other two-three officials about Shahabuddin being taken to Patna...We are keeping it secret due to various reasons including operational difficulties and other problems," IG (Prisons) said.

The apex court had on February 15 last directed the Bihar government to transfer Shahabuddin to Tihar jail within a week to ensure free and fair trial in the cases lodged against him through video conferencing.

The order came on the pleas by Siwan-based Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons were killed in separate incidents, and Asha Ranjan, wife of scribe Rajdeo Ranjan who was murdered in Siwan, seeking shifting of Shahabuddin, a four time MP and twice an MLA, from Siwan jail.