'We can only pray for justice as we have nothing left'

Satish, Girish, and Rajiv Roshan were allegedly murdered by Mohammed Shahabuddin's henchmen.
Their parents are thankful that Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan will challenge the former RJD MP's bail order.
M I Khan reports from Patna.

On Saturday, September 10, Chandrakeshwar Prasad and his wife Kalavati Devi lost hope when former Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Mohammed Shahabuddin was freed from prison after being granted bail by the Patna high court.

Babu's three sons -- Satish, Girish and Rajiv Roshan -- were allegedly murdered by Shahabuddin's henchmen.

Satish and Girish were kidnapped and murdered on August 16, 2004 in Siwan, the north Bihar district which is Shahabuddin's power base. The brothers were drenched in acid before being killed.

Rajiv Roshan, an eyewitness to the crimes, was killed in 2014 before he could depose in court.

Prasad, 70, and his ailing wife, who live in a small hovel in Siwan, said they do not have the resources to challenge Shahabuddin's release in the Supreme Court.

"We can only pray to God for justice as we have nothing left," he said.

Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan has now decided to challenge Shahabuddin's release in the apex court.

On September 11, Bhushan tweeted, 'Shameful that high court granted bail to notorious gangster/politico (RJD) Shahabuddin. Have agreed to seek cancellation of Bail in SC on victim's behalf.'

"At last, someone like Prashant Bhushan has emerged to challenge Shahabuddin's release," Prasad said. "We are thankful to him."

"I have not met him, but hope to one day meet him and personally thank him for this brave step," the grief-stricken father added.

His ailing wife Kalavati said they fear for their lives. "Our neighbours have left us. We have been abandoned by our own people," she said.

The couple, who live in poverty with a disabled son, said not a single leader from any political party has supported them in their fight for justice.

"When Shahabuddin was released from jail," Prasad pointed out, "thousands waited for him as he was a hero. It is a paradoxical situation in society."