Bihar politics sees return of strongmen

Bahubalis (strongmen) are gradually beginning to breathe easy in Bihar. After languishing for years in jail, many politicians with criminal antecedents are on a 'comeback trail' after acquittal in highprofile murder cases.

The Patna High Court on Thursday acquitted former LJP MP Suraj Bhan Singh and two ex-MLAs Munna Shukla and Rajan Tiwari in the murder case of former state minister Brij Bihari Prasad.

Prasad, a minister in the Rabri Devi government, was gunned down while he was undergoing medical treatment at Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science (IGIMS) at Patna in 1998. Suraj Bhan, Shukla and Tiwari were named accused in the CBI chargesheet filed in the case.

In 2009, a CBI court had sentenced them to life imprisonment, sealing the fate of their political career. But now, the high court has overturned the decision for want of evidence. It is the second time when Munna and Tiwari have been exonerated from murder charges by the high court.

Munna, who was the JD(U) MLA from Lalganj, was earlier given life term in the Gopalganj District Magistrate G. Krishnaiyyah murder case.

In 2008, Munna was awarded life term which debarred him from contesting the Assembly elections. His wife Annu Shukla had successfully fought from Lalganj assembly seat in 2010. In the recent general election, she contested as an Independent from Vaishali but lost. With his acquittal in two cases, Munna can aspire to return to active politics now even though he still has other criminal cases pending against him.

Earlier this year, Pappu Yadav rejoined active politics after spending years behind bars. Pappu was given life imprisonment in the CPI(M) legislator Ajit Sarkar murder case, but the high court found no evidence against him and ordered his release. Subsequently, he fought the general elections from Madhepura on RJD ticket and defeated JD(U) president Sharad Yadav to become a Lok Sabha Member of Parliament for the fifth time.

Rajan Tiwari was also handed life imprisonment in the Ajit Sarkar murder case. The former legislator from Gobindganj was awarded a similar sentence in the Brij Bihari case. In 2010, he had unsuccessfully fielded his brother Raju as the LJP candidate from Gobindganj.

Tiwari was facing eight charges of murder and five charges related to attempt to murder when he had contested the 2005 Bihar polls. But now, he may well revive his political career after being exonerated in both the cases.

Former LJP MP Surajbhan, who was convicted in two murder cases, has been acquitted in one of them. But he will have to wait for the high court's verdict in the Rami Singh murder case. He is also an accused in the Ram Naresh Sharma murder case which is still in trial stage.

The only exception is don-turned-politician Anand Mohan whose conviction by a fast-track court has been upheld by the high court and the Supreme Court. Anand, convicted for instigating a mob to lynch Gopalganj DM G. Krishnaiyyah, was initially awarded capital punishment.

It was commuted to life sentence by the Patna High Court. Anand moved the Supreme Court, but it upheld the high court judgement.