The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday said the 'gunda raj' is back in Bihar, after absconding sharpshooter Mohammad Kaif was reportedly spotted with former Rashtriya Janata Dal parliamentarian Mohammad Shahabuddin, who is out on bail. BJP leader Nalin Kohli said it showed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's inability to arrest Kaif, who is wanted in connection with the murder of journalist Rajdev Ranjan. "Clearly he [Kaif] thinks he can do whatever he wants and no one can do anything about it," said Kohli.

Kaif was seen standing beside Shahabuddin on Saturday in a video that went viral. He was also a part of a 300-car convoy that escorted Shahabuddin from the Bhagalpur jail to his home in Siwan, reported NDTV. The police, however, said the investigation against Kaif is ongoing. Siwan Superintendent of Police Saurabh Shah told ANI, "Police probe against the accused [Mohammad Kaif] in case [Journalist Rajdev Ranjan murder case] is underway."

Meanwhile, the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government is likely to move the Supreme Court against Shahabuddin being granted bail, reported NDTV. Members of the JD(U) said Shahabuddin has more than 40 criminal cases pending against him and that the government will ensure he is tried for each one of them and is arrested soon. The former Siwan MP was sent to prison in November 2005 in connection with the murder of two brothers in his native village in the district. He was granted bail by the Patna High Court on September 7 in connection with the murder of a prime witness in that case.

Shahabuddin's bail has ruffled feathers in the political corridors of Bihar after he criticised JD(U) leader and chief minister Nitish Kumar. He said Kumar was a "chief minister of circumstances" and that RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav was his only leader. Bihar is currently ruled by a coalition of JD(U), RJD and Congress. On Tuesday, the Congress made its stance on the issue clear when it asked the RJD to walk out of the state government if it is not comfortable with the three-way alliance.

Moreover, the inquiry into the journalist's murder has been taken over by the Central Bureau of Investigation. A team of CBI investigators is scheduled to leave for Siwan soon, ANI reported. Ranjan was shot dead at close range in May by bike-borne assailants near the railway station in Siwan. The police had said it appeared to be a professional shooting, given Ranjan was shot straight through the temple.

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