Siwan’s Raes Khan vs Osama Shahab: A battle for Shahabuddin’s legacy?

After criminal-politician Shahabuddin’s death, is Siwan galloping to a bloodied war of attrition between his son Osama Sahab and former hitman Raes Khan? What does it mean in Bihar's political context?

Even about a year after the death of Bihar’s criminal-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin, aka Saheb, his home turf, Siwan district, has not been quiet. In fact, far from it.

In the latest Gangs of Wasseypur-style shootout, a group of men sprayed bullets from AK-47 assault rifles on Raes Khan, an independent candidate in Bihar’s Legislative Council election.

Two days later, cops raided several places, including former RJD leader Shahabuddin’s ancestral village Pratapnagar, in search of his son Osama Shahab. This was after the police booked Osama and seven others in connection with the attack on Raes’s convoy in which he escaped, but one person was killed and six others were wounded.

The April 4 incident in Siwan’s Mahuwal village (in Purani Qila) caught the national’s media’s attention but those who know this West Bihar district bordering Uttar Pradesh, are not really surprised and may utter a piece of dialogue from another Bollywood movie, Gangaajal: “Ee toh s**l* hona hi tha (this was bound to happen).”

Social media is also flooded with allegations and counter-allegations between Osama fan profiles with thousands of followers, including Opposition RJD leaders, and those swearing loyalty to Raes.

So, is this the beginning of a battle for Shahabuddin’s legacy? Let’s first understand how Siwan did under Saheb.

A small-time criminal and son of a stamp vendor, Shahabuddin began his political career in 1992 when he entered Bihar’s Legislative Assembly as an independent candidate from Siwan’s Ziradei seat. He continued to face murder and kidnapping cases and became known as Siwan’s king; his control over his territory was total.