GA sceptical, NDA defends govt decision

Patna: With the state govt recommending a CBI probe into the death of a medical aspirant from Jehanabad, sharp political divisions emerged on Saturday with Grand Alliance (GA) partners questioning the credibility of the move and the ruling NDA defending the decision as necessary and transparent.

RJD working president and leader of opposition in the state assembly, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, expressed doubts over the outcome of a CBI inquiry, recalling the agency’s handling of past cases. “In the last 12-13 years, the CBI could not nab the criminals in several cases, including the kidnapping-cum-murder case of Navruna, in which it closed its inquiry. The same would happen in the NEET student case, too,” he said, alleging systemic failure.


“Instead of busting the sexual assault and murder case at the level of the state police, the state govt, in handing over the case to the CBI, has once again proved that Bihar’s administrative structure is so corrupt, incapable, unskilled and unprofessional that it cannot solve a case of rape and murder,” he said, adding that the failure reflected “the corrupt and compromised system of the NDA govt”.

CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, who met the victim’s family, said the CBI probe was unlikely to yield results unless conducted under “strict and transparent monitoring” by a Supreme Court judge. He added that the recommendation came under pressure from public agitation demanding arrests and justice.

The CPI(ML) also said its proposed ‘Beti Bachao-Nyay Yatra’, organised by its women’s and students’ wings, would begin on Feb 4 from Makhdumpur in Jehanabad and culminate in a march to the state assembly on Feb 10.

The state Congress also questioned the move. “It’s just an attempt to save the govt from the taint that has come due to the unsuccessful and inefficient investigation by the state police,” spokesperson Rajesh Rathorre said, calling the CBI probe “a cover-up exercise”.

Defending the decision, BJP spokesperson Prabhakar Kumar Mishra accused the RJD of making baseless statements to disrupt political decorum. Industries minister Dilip Jaiswal said, “In view of the demand made by the victim’s mother, father and family members for a CBI probe, the state govt wants to reach the perpetrators and ensure they are punished.”

JD(U) national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad said, “CM Nitish Kumar has urged the Centre for a fair and transparent investigation. If anyone has suspicion, their sentiments have been respected.” Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief Upendra Kushwaha termed the recommendation “a positive development”.