In a major blow to controversial Rashtriya Janata Dal member of Parliament Mohammed Shahabuddin, the Siwan police Monday filed separate chargesheets against him in four cases, including one of sedition, on the basis of the probe in cases relating to recovery of foreign-made firearms and bullets bearing the mark of a Pakistan ordnance factory during the April 2005 raids at his Pratappur house.

Four separate chargesheets in as many cases were filed in the court of Siwan Chief Judicial Magistrate A K Barial.

• Four new cases registered against Shahabuddin

Police sources said that though the MP was earlier not booked on the charge of sedition, it was included in the course of investigation.

Two cases, including that of an encounter between Shahabuddin and his men with the police, who had gone to arrest him at Pratappur in 2001 and another of seizure of firearms of foreign make and bullets with Pakistan ordnance factory markings from his Pratappur house in April 2005 were clubbed together and one chargesheet was filed.

The charge of sedition has been levelled against the RJD strongman in this case.

The chargesheet accusing the MP with sedition has been filed under different sections of Indian Penal Code including 121 (waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against the government of India), 121 a (conspiracy to commit offences punishable by section 121), 122 (collecting arms etc with intention of waging war against the government of India) and 123 (concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war).

The police also chargesheeted Shahabuddin, lodged in Bhagalpur central jail, in three cases of alleged illegal sale and purchase of firearms, possession of unaccounted foreign currency and illegal firearms.

The chargesheets were filed in three other cases charging the MP with sale and purchase of illegal weapons on the basis of confessional statement of one Jamaluddin arrested from Pratappur.

While section 121 of IPC provides for life imprisonment if convicted, in three sections (121 a, 122 and 123 of the IPC) there is provision for imprisonment up to 10 years.

Police sources said prior permission of Siwan district magistrate and superintendent of poice was taken before charging Shahabuddin with sedition.

Shahabuddin is currently lodged in Bhagalpur jail. The RJD MP, known for his strong-arm tactics, was arrested in Delhi in November 2005 in connection with eight pending non-bailable warrants of arrest against him.

The fourth term MP from Siwan was later brought to Bihar on remand and lodged in high-security Bhagalpur jail for six months.