HC says 'no' to CBI probe into Rahul Raj death case

PATNA: A single bench of the Patna high court presided by Justice S N Hussain on Friday rejected the plea for a CBI probe into the alleged killing of Rahul Raj, a Patna youth, by Mumbai police in a fake encounter on October 27, 2008.Hearing a PIL filed byRahul’s father Kundan Prasad Singh, the court said that since the incidenttook place outside the state, it would not be proper for the court to give adirective for CBI probe. However, the court asked the petitioner to move theapex court in this regard if he so wished.Rahul was killed in firingby the Mumbai police after he held a BEST bus hostage with 12 passengers in itin suburban Kurla. The Mumbai police had alleged that he wanted to assassinatethe Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief, Raj Thackeray.Theincident had sparked off fierce criticism nationwide, especially from thepoliticians of Bihar. The incident was also seen as a rise of Biharisub-nationalism to counter the agitation against migrants from Uttar Pradesh andBihar by MNS. Rahul was protesting against attacks on north Indian candidatesappearing for a railway examination.High court’s security: Adivision bench of the court comprising Justice S K Katriar and Justice AAmanullah on Friday directed the state government and the high court’sadministration to give details by September 27 on steps taken to ensure the highcourt’s security in the wake of bomb blast outside Delhi high court onSeptember 7. The directive was issued on a PIL filed by ShivamSinghFalgu encroachment: The same bench on Friday directed theCentre and the state government to file reply within two months on a petitionfiled by an NGO, Pratigya, seeking the court’s directive to free the Falguriver of encroachments.The petitioner pleaded that since lakhs ofpeople converge on the bank of Falgu every year for offering pind daan duringPitripaksh Mela, encroachment along the river path creates a lot of hardship tothem in performing the rituals. The petitioner also stated that since Gaya is atourist place, the encroachment gives a bad name to thecity.School’s construction stopped: The same bench stopped theongoing construction of a school in Kako block of Jehanabad district whilehearing a PIL filed in this regard by Mohammad Sohail.The petitionerinformed the court that at the site of the school a ‘haat’ isorganized twice a week. With the coming up of the school on the site, no placewould be left for the haat, he said. The court directed the state government andother concerned parties to file their reply in the matter.Co-oppolls: A division bench of the Patna high court comprising chief justice RekhaManharlal Doshit and Justice Jyoti Saran on Friday annulled the amendmentsbrought by the state government for holding the election of cooperativesocieties in the state.Hearing a PIL filed by Ramzan Ansari, thecourt directed the state government to hold election of cooperative societies asper the earlier laws, and not through any election authority mooted in the saidamendment.