Prashant Bhushan to battle for Chanda Babu against Mohammed Shahabuddin

The Supreme Court of India will hear the appeal filed by Chandrakeshwar Prasad (Chanda Babu) against the judgment of the Patna High Court granting bail to politician, Mohammad Shahabuddin..Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for Prasad, and mentioned the matter before Chief Justice TS Thakur, who agreed to list the matter on September 19 provided the case is numbered by the Registry..Shahabuddin was granted bail by the Patna High Court on September 7 in a case pertaining to the murder of Babu’s son, Rajdeo Ranjan. Ranjan, an eye witness in the murder of his two younger brothers in 2004, was killed in 2014..Shahabuddin, who was accused of conspiracy in Ranjan’s murder, was meanwhile convicted by the trial court for the 2004 murder of the two younger brothers..Notwithstanding these, the High Court had gone ahead and granted bail to Shahabuddin. This order granting bail has been assailed by Chandan Babu for non-application of mind..“The Hon’ble High Court, while passing the impugned order, completely lost sight of the facts that Respondent No. 2 is a dreaded criminal, who has absolutely no regard for the law, and granting bail to him in the present case would let him come out of the jail as a free man even though he is still facing trial in many of the cases lodged against him. Apparently, as per the High Court Rules, it is mandatory for the Accused while applying for bail to mention his criminal antecedents which were obviously not considered by the High Court in the present case.”.The petition sets out various alleged criminal antecedents of Shahabuddin..“…he was apparently booked in at least 58 criminal cases of which in at least 8 he has been convicted. Further, apparently, till November, 2014, at least 27 Trials before the Magistrates and 11 Trials before the Sessions Courts were pending against him. He has been sentenced to life imprisonment in at least two cases including in the case of twin murder. The charges which he is facing include murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping or abducting with intent to murder, extortion, theft, rioting with deadly weapon and treason. He is listed as a History Sheeter Type A (a hardened criminal with a history of crime and who is beyond reform) in the Hussain Ganj police station at Siwan.”.The petitioner has also contended that Shahabuddin is a very influential person as he was an MLA twice and an MP four times. Further, Prasad has also submitted that the High Court seems to have completely overlooked the crucial fact that Shahabuddin is facing the charge of getting an eye-witness to a twin murder, (committed by him only) killed and also that he has ultimately been convicted in that murder case..Meanwhile, The Indian Express has reported that Bihar government has also moved the Supreme Court against the Patna High Court decision to grant bail to Shahabuddin.