A stampede like situation prevailed on platform 16 of New Delhi Railway Station on Sunday morning as the Sampoorna Kranti Express from Patna, carrying notorious convict and former RJD MP Mohammed Shahabuddin, rolled in.
In accordance with the Supreme Court directive that no special privilege be extended to him, an armed contingent of around 30 police personnel had escorted the RJD strongman to Delhi on coach S2 of the train and then on to the Tihar jail.
The Supreme Court on February 15 ordered that Shahabuddin, facing trial in 45 criminal cases, be shifted from Siwan Jail in Bihar to Tihar Jail within a week.
Slogans against Nitish
A large crowd of supporters thronged the railway station as Shahabuddin arrived, shouting slogans against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Holding placards with slogans like ‘We support Mr. Shahabuddin. It is a conspiracy against him’, his supporters claimed their leader was being treated unfairly.
“Why is he shifted to Tihar? Because Nitish Kumar wants him out of Bihar. But Shahabuddinji will return as all charges against him are baseless,” said one of his supporters.
As Shahabuddin emerged from the train, the crowd cheered and shouted, “ Dekho, dekho kaun aaya, Sher aya, Sher aya (Look who is here, the Lion has come).”
As the crowd surged, security personnel rushed Shahabuddin through and into the police van which headed to Tihar.
