- Situ Tiwari
- From Sivan to BBC Hindi
image source, SEETU TIWARI / BBC
Badami Devi (left)
On the streets of Kasera Toli in the Siwan city of Bihar, a narrow alley emerges between the central utensils and gold and silver shops. There is a house on the edge of this narrow street, of which people are reluctant to explain it.
The front door of the house is a heavy old wooden door. Upon entering through this door, you will find thick circular pillars painted light green. With this stifling heat, air barely penetrates the entire house.
There is darkness on the narrow stairs leading to the first floor of the house. There is a very narrow path that crosses this darkness with the help of moving light. As you pass by you get to the room where the light bulb is giving off so little light that no one’s face is clearly visible.
But even in a very normal looking house, you can’t go without any “references”. While only one elderly woman lives in this two-bedroom house. This elderly woman is described as a heart patient and can only walk by holding a door, a wall, or any solid object.
Who is Badami Devi?
This old woman is Badami Devi. Badami Devi, 84, is in the news these days. The reason for this is that the CBI had declared him dead in the CBI court on 24 May. After that, Badami herself physically arrived at the Muzaffarpur civil court on June 3 and appeared before the judge and said, “Huzoor I am alive.”
In fact, Badami Devi is a witness in the murder case of journalist Rajdev Ranjan of Biwan’s Siwan district. Badami Devi’s husband’s name is Satyadev Prasad, registered as the 35th witness in the CBI’s calendar of charges. Satyadev Prasad, who ran a clothing store, died of kidney disease in 1998. Badami and Satyadev had no children of their own.
According to people close to Badami Devi, “He had no children, but raised a girl named Sapna Devi. He later married Rajesh Saha of Padrauna (Kushinagar). His daughter Aarti Saha had a Siwan that I had. Married with Vijay Gupta (accused in the murder of Rajdev Ranjan). Right now this same granddaughter (Aarti Saha) of Badami Devi is in charge of her. “
But surely this question arises: what is the relationship of an elderly woman like Badami with the murder case of Rajdev Ranjan and why is she a witness in this case? The answer to this question is in the disputed house of Badami Devi.
image source, SEETU TIWARI / BBC
Badami Devi room
House dispute and Rajdev Ranjan
The dispute over this four-story house built on about 600 square meters is between Badami Devi and Virendra Pandey. Because this land is on the market and the house is on the corner, this property has good value. In 1998, Virendra Pandey had come to live in this house as a tenant.
LIC and Post Agent Virendra Pandey lives in this house on the ground floor.
He said, “Badami Devi gave me a power of attorney. After that, I registered this house paying eight lakh rupees to Badami Devi in 2010 on behalf of my wife Baby Pandey. Mutual understanding between us and Badami Devi It was that as long as Badami ji is alive, he will have the right to live in this house. After that, I will have the right over this house. “
Although Badami Devi says, “I have been tricked into canceling the house. And I want this house back. Virendra Pandey is conspiring to kill me with the CBI.”
In this house dispute, lower judge Santosh Kumar Upadhyay (Sivan) had ruled in favor of Virendra Pandey in 2018, after which an appeal was filed on behalf of Badami Devi. That is, this matter is still under jurisdiction.
But what does this case of the house have to do with the murder case of journalist Rajdev Ranjan? Defense attorney Sharad Sinha gives the answer to the murder case of Rajdev Ranjan.
He explains: “The part of CBI is that Azharuddin Baig, alias Laddan Mian, had five people killed Rajdev Ranjan, including Vijay Kumar Gupta, instead of taking this house out of Virendra Pandey’s possession. Therefore, Badami’s testimony Devi in this case is important. “
Azharuddin Baig, alias Laddan Mian, was considered a trusted aide to the late RJD leader Shahabuddin and Vijay Kumar Gupta is the husband of Badami Devi’s granddaughter, Aarti Saha. Although both Badami Devi and Virendra Pandey were familiar with Rajdev Ranjan, the answer to both is no.
Witnesses to the case, Virendra Pandey and Badami Devi’s granddaughter, Aarti Saha, told the BBC: “We do not understand the relationship of our house with the Rajdev Ranjan case.”
image source, SEETU TIWARI / BBC
Virendra Pandey
Assassination case of Rajdev Ranjan
Rajdev Ranjan, a journalist from Bihar’s Siwan district, was associated with the Hindi newspaper Hindustan. He used to write the news of the crime coup often. Rajdev Ranjan was shot dead in Siwan on the afternoon of May 13, 2016.
The first FIR in this case was filed against unknown persons at the local police station, after which seven defendants were charged during the investigation, including Azharuddin Baig, alias Laddan Mian, Vijay Kumar Gupta, Rohit Kumar Soni, Rajesh Kumar, Rishu Kumar Jaiswal. , Sonu Kumar Gupta There was a minor. It is worth noting that Vijay Kumar Gupta (Sarita Saha’s husband) and Sonu Kumar Gupta (Sarita Saha’s brother-in-law) are related to Badami Devi.
On 17 May 2016, the Bihar government recommended an investigation into this massacre at the CBI, which registered the case on 15 September 2016.
The CBI filed an indictment in this case in August 2018. In this murder case, a minor was charged first, after which an additional indictment was made in which he also s ‘included the name of Shahabuddin.
The part of the CBI was that Rajdev Ranjan used to write news against Mohammad Shahabuddin continuously and was assassinated due to a story titled “Assassins in Hitlist Released from Siwan Prison”. In this case 98 witnesses have to testify and there are a total of 158 documents. Apart from that, if necessary, you can also call anyone else to testify. Of 98 witnesses, only 28 have been testified so far.
image source, SEETU TIWARI / BBC
house in dispute
Badami Devi means dead witnesses
On May 2, the CBI had filed a petition in court to testify in this case to another witness named Badami Devi and Sakaldev Singh. After that, the court summoned the CBI by hand (body by hand), but the CBI at the ADJ-1 cum Special MP-ML Court in Muzaffarpur on May 24 before Special Judge Puneet Kumar Garg , ‘Death’ of Badami Device verification report sent.
When Aarti Saha, Badami Devi’s granddaughter saw this news published in the newspaper, she physically presented Badami Devi on June 3, the next view of this case. Badami Devi wrote in the affidavit filed in court: “The CBI official has not made any contact with me and has declared me dead. This is a conspiracy.”
The court, while issuing a case notice to the CBI, asked it to file its response before the next hearing on June 20. Following this notification from the court, on June 4, CBI officials went to Badami Devi’s home in Kasera Toli, where he interrogated Badami Devi and nearby localities.
All CBI officials told local media, “The investigation is ongoing and talks have been held with the person who was pronounced dead.”
image source, SEETU TIWARI / BBC
Defense lawyer Sharad Sinha says, “This is the degree of negligence of the country’s top agency. The same attitude of CBI is also seen in the case of Navruna of Muzaffarpur.”
Six years have passed since the case of the assassination of Rajdev Ranjan in 2016. One of the accused in this massacre, namely Mohammad Shahabuddin, has died because of Kovid while all the other accused are in jail.
Rajdev Ranjan’s wife, Asha Ranjan, says: “So far, not even 30 witnesses have been able to do so. Consequently, even after my death, the testimony will continue. Time is of the essence. justice.If justice were done late, its importance would have diminished.If the CBI had been serious, there would not have been such a big mistake that the living would have declared Badami dead.