Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Patna, October 23 (IANS) Parties and people have expressed sharp and angry reactions to the field of late don-turned-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in the assembly elections. As RJD faces criticism for fielding the son of a dreaded gangster, Chandrakeshwar Prasad’s son spoke to IANS and recalled the gruesome murder of his brothers in the infamous ‘acid case’ under Shahabuddin’s reign of terror.
Chandrakeswar Prasad, popularly known as Chanda Babu, fought a 15-year-long court battle demanding justice for his sons, but the family had to go through a tragic tale as his third son died a few days after his court appearance.
While talking to IANS, Monu shared the troubles of the family going through difficult times and also expressed dissatisfaction over giving ticket to the gangster’s son. He said that election tickets should be given to educated and qualified persons who bring welfare and peace in the society. Last week, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had also criticized RJD’s decision to field Shahabuddin’s son in the Bihar Assembly elections.
In an interview with IANS, Monu recalled the harrowing sequence of events and the manner in which both the brothers were brutally murdered while the killers made a mockery of justice.
Here are excerpts from the interview:
IANS: Do you think it is right to give ticket to Shahabuddin’s son, who has several criminal cases against him? The Home Minister has called it ‘Jungle Raj Part 2’. Do you agree?
Monu: We cannot directly say whether someone should or should not be given a ticket. However, I believe that tickets should be given to educated and capable people who are genuinely concerned about public welfare.
The background and intentions of the candidate should be properly investigated. Only good and responsible persons should be allowed to contest elections. In future, it should not happen that someone looks good before the elections but changes completely after winning.
We need such representatives who will work for the welfare of everyone and ensure peace in Siwan. What happened to my family should never happen to anyone else. This is my only wish.
IANS: How did Shahabuddin kill your three brothers?
Monu: He and his men killed two of my three brothers by burning them with acid. When we failed to pay the ransom of Rs 2 lakh to Shahabuddin, acid was thrown on my two brothers Girish Raj and Satish Raj by the gangster’s men on 16 August 2004. The only witness to the incident was my third brother Rajeev Roshan, who managed to escape from the spot. 10 years later, on 16 August 2014, two days before he was to appear in court as a witness, Rajiv was also murdered.
IANS: How did you feel after all this happened?
Monu: To be honest, I did not feel anything at that moment. It felt as if the entire family had vanished. After my brothers’ death, we were all heartbroken. During the 2004 incident, only four of us – my father, mother, sister and I – survived. After an hour we managed to escape. After that, we ran wherever we could, living in constant fear.
For a long time no one knew where my sister was, or where my father or brother had gone. After about a year and a half, maybe two years, we finally met our father again. He introduced us to some of his acquaintances and gradually we settled down with each other and started living together again.
IANS: Did you ever receive any threats after that?
Monu: Personally, I was never threatened. But during that time my father received threats many times. We don’t know exactly what was said to him, but he would receive phone calls and some people would come to meet him and try to influence him about the case. My father would often say, “Look at what we have already gone through – how can this be just a government issue?”
He was even offered money. But my father would reply, “What will we do with the money when we have lost our children?” If someone loses his brother or son, no amount of money matters.
IANS: What did your father have to endure while he was alive?
Monu: Our father was a true warrior. They had to care for us and nurture us despite unimaginable pain. Both our parents were deeply shocked after losing two sons and when the third son was also shot dead, they were completely devastated. He often used to say, “Now we have no one left.” We were in no position to do anything – not then, not even now. My father became ill thinking about what had happened and, eventually, my mother became paralyzed from shock.
There came a time when some people came and started beating my elder brother. He said, “It’s grown up now – take it to Sahib.” As they dragged him away, my younger brother saw this and tried to call the police. One of the men grabbed her hand and said, “You don’t know who we are. If you call the police, you’ll regret it.”
They kidnapped both my brothers. Later that evening, when my other brother was returning home with his luggage, his car was also stopped and he too was kidnapped along with the vehicle. Everyone told us to run away for our safety.
IANS: What happened to your family after that?
Monu: Whatever happened to us, I pray that it does not happen to anyone else. Our shop was burnt and looted – we were left with nothing. Somehow, we managed to survive.
Later, I got some help from my brother. At the same time, in 2011, my sister got married. After her marriage, my brother became the only earning member of the family. I worked on some website projects and also had a small shop in Gala Bazaar.
We had to clear many old dues. My father had promised that we would repay every penny. But some big businessmen told him, “First return our goods.” So, my father reopened the shop. For four years we lived in very difficult circumstances. Eventually, my father managed to reopen the shop, and the creditors collected their dues. After that nothing was left.
I somehow borrowed money and restarted my livelihood. The situation was gradually improving. Then, in 2014, my brother was murdered. My brother and I had come to Siwan to meet our paralyzed mother when she was shot dead. But nothing happened in the matter and we did not get any information about it.
–IANS
JK/Mr.