Patna: Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Monday called for the immediate removal and arrest of Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on murder charges.
During a press conference in Patna, Kishor referred to a 1995 murder case in Tarapur, Munger, where six individuals, all belonging to Choudhary’s Kushwaha caste, were killed. He pointed out that Choudhary, known as Rakesh Kumar alias Samrat Chandra Maurya, claimed to be a minor at the time of the incident, which led to his release from jail. However, Kishor highlighted that in a 2020 affidavit submitted to the Election Commission, Choudhary stated his age as 51, implying he was 26 years old during the 1995 incident, and thus not a minor.
Kishor stressed, “Until he is cleared by the court, he should be in jail,” alleging that Choudhary avoided trial through false claims of his age. Choudhary, who holds significant portfolios, including finance in Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s government, dismissed Kishor’s allegations and accused him of acting like an “investigative journalist.” He further suggested that Kishor is attempting to deflect attention from his own alleged corruption.
Kishor announced that his party would seek an appointment with the governor within the next few days to press for Choudhary’s dismissal from the cabinet, urging both Chief Minister Kumar and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to take action or face public scrutiny. He remarked, “This person, sitting in a constitutional position, is insulting the country’s laws and regulations.”
Additionally, Kishor revealed that Choudhary is not only an accused in the Tarapur case but is also a suspect in the widely publicized Shilpi-Gautam rape and murder case from 1999, which was investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He urged Choudhary to clarify his involvement in that case, threatening to release more documents if he denied the allegations.
The Shilpi-Gautam case involved the discovery of two bodies in a vehicle, triggering widespread shock in Patna. The CBI, which investigated the case, eventually filed a closure report stating that the two had died by suicide.
Kishor also targeted Rural Works Minister Ashok Choudhary, urging him to retract a legal notice for defamation amounting to Rs 100 crore. He issued a seven-day ultimatum for the notice’s withdrawal and an apology, warning that failure to comply would result in the exposure of alleged illegal properties worth Rs 500 crore linked to Ashok Choudhary. Kishor previously presented evidence of properties valued at Rs 200 crore reportedly associated with him and his family members.
As tensions mount within Bihar’s political landscape, Kishor’s actions signal ongoing challenges for the ruling government, raising questions about accountability and legal integrity among its members.
