Patna: Former RJD MP from Siwan, Mohammad Shahabuddin, who was lodged in Tihar Jail and serving a life term in connection with a murder case, passed away on Saturday.
He tested positive for Covid-19 on April 21 and was admitted to DDU Hospital for treatment.
Right after his death, various aspects of Shahabuddin's life have started gaining public attention and are doing rounds on social media.
Read:| Jailed ex-RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin dies of Covid
Shahabuddin remained an unchallenged name not only in Bihar politics but also in its criminal underbellies as he had enjoyed the advantage of his influence and muscle power.
Shahabuddin's wife Hina Shahab was defeated by Om Prakash Yadav twice in the Lok Sabha elections. Reports suggest that Yadav is the same person who was brutally thrashed by Shahabuddin in public long back.
In 2009, the court banned the mafia don from contesting Lok Sabha elections following his 2007 life imprisonment ruling where he was charged in a case of kidnapping and murder.
As a result, his wife Hina Shahab contested the 2009 Lok Sabha election from the RJD ticket but she lost the election to Om Prakash Yadav who contested as an independent candidate and won the polls by 60,000 votes.
In 2014, Yadav contested polls on the BJP ticket and defeated Hina by over 1 lakh votes.
Hina Shahab was born in 1976 and got married to Shahabuddin right after completing her graduation. The couple has three children — one son and two daughters.
READ: Man who sent ex-MP Shahabuddin to jail, dies
Mohammad Shahabuddin was born in Pratappur village of Siwan on May 10, 1967. He was educated in Bihar, having passed MA in political science and acquiring a PhD.
He had stepped into politics during his college days. During the 1980s, he transformed himself as a domineering opposition leader against CPI(M) and the CPI.
The first case against Shahabuddin was registered in 1986 at the age of 19. A history sheet was opened in his name in Hussainganj police station and he was declared an 'A' category criminal.
Shahabuddin entered into mainstream politics under Lalu Prasad Yadav's shadow as a member of Janata Dal's youth wing.
As per reports, the RJD government was shielding Shahabuddin in legal cases. He had become a law unto himself. The police turned a blind eye to his criminal activities. His terror can be gauged from the fact that no one mustered the courage to stand in witness against him. The Siwan district became his fiefdom and he was its unchallenged 'ruler'.
The mafia don gave two hoots to the police and administrative officials. He thrashed them regularly. He would even shoot at the policemen.
READ: Ex-RJD leader gets conditional custody parole
He had slapped police officer Sanjiv Kumar who had come with a force in Daroga Rai College to comply with a warrant against local RJD chief Manoj Kumar Pappu. Shahabuddin's goons attacked the policemen.
The Manoj Kumar Pappu episode shocked the police. They raided Shahabuddin's place to arrest him and Manoj. Besides the Bihar Police, teams of Uttar Pradesh police were also deployed for the purpose.
The police suffered major losses and two of its men were killed in the shootout with the supporters of the don. Ten others were also killed while several police vehicles were burnt down. The police recovered three AK-47s from the spot. But they could not catch hold of Shahabuddin. He had fled. The police filed several cases against him.
