Rahul Raj encounter
Encyclopedia
The Police encounter of Rahul Raj Kundan Prasad Singh , a youth from Patna
, Bihar
, took place on 27 October 2008, aboard a BEST
bus in Mumbai
, India
. Raj was killed in the shootout with the police after he held a bus with 12 passengers hostage in suburban Kurla
. The Mumbai police
alleged that he wanted to assassinate the MNS
chief, Raj Thackeray
. The incident sparked fierce criticism of the police and discussions nationwide, especially from the Bihar
politicians. The incident was also seen as a rise of Bihari
sub-nationalism to counter the agitation against migrants from Uttar Pradesh
and Bihar
by MNS
.
and Andheri at Saki Naka
stop around 10 am and went to the upper deck. Rahul, wielding a country made revolver, had taken control of the bus and injured one passenger. He was protesting against the attacks on north Indian candidates appearing for a railway examination recently. He also wanted to talk to the Mumbai Police Commissioner and media. The three key eyewitnesses, including the bus conductor, have told the crime branch that Bhagat, the injured passenger, was injured by Rahul Raj's bullet.
Rahul reportedly said that he was not there to harm passengers but instead wanted to ‘kill Raj Thackeray’.According to senior inspector, Dadasaheb Godse, Vinoba Bhave station, Kurla, Raj shouted
carried out a post-mortem on Rahul. Three hit him in the head and one went through his heart. It was alleged that police could have taken him into custody. According to the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials adopted by UN General Assembly resolution 34/169 of 17 December 1979, Article 3 states that,
ACP Sadanand Date
a highly decorated police officer overseeing the operation (who was later seriously injured and attracted international attention during the November 2008 Mumbai attacks because of his actions resisting terrorists at the Cama and Albless Hospital
), later told reporters that Rahul Raj had fired upon the police & also shot a hostage passenger. Hence the police had to fire in retaliation.
Bus stops near Bail Bazaar police chowky in Kurla. Conductor alerts cops
Policeman approaches Rahul, but is fired at. He escapes unhurt & calls in forces. By 9.35, about 100 cops cordon off the bus and ask 4 passengers to come down
An angry Rahul brandishes the revolver, asks to speak to media and police chief. Police tell him to surrender, but he throws down currency notes claiming he has come to kill Raj Thackeray
He also fires four rounds, injuring passenger Manoj Bhagat, a 25-year-old finance executive from Sakinaka, in the thigh. Around 9.54 am, as he is distracted by loudspeakers, armed cops enter the bus and shoot Rahul
Mujhe (police) commissioner se baat karna hai. Media ko bulao. Main kissi ko marna nahin chahta. I want to kill Raj Thackeray (Written in Hindi on a currency note and thrown out of the bus window) —RAHUL RAJ
Rahul shot at least four bullets from an illegal country-made revolver, one at a policeman trying to reach the bus’ upper deck, one into the thigh of a passenger and a couple in the air.
, who also heads the home department of the state, justified the police action against Rahul Raj, saying: "I fully justify the police action. If someone is firing at the police, they will not be silent spectators. Police opened fire at Rahul Raj only after he refused to surrender or hand over his revolver to the police. The police had no option but to fire at him".
The killing of Rahul Raj sparked a row between the politicians of Bihar
and Maharashtra
with several parties demanding a judicial probe into the incident. The father of Rahul Raj, K.P. Singh, earlier said he would appeal to President of India
Pratibha Patil
for justice. Unable to meet President Pratibha Patil to seek justice, he planned to file a writ petition in the supreme court and seek justice from National Human Rights Commission
(NHRC).
Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav
, also from the state of Bihar
, joined hands with his archrivals Nitish Kumar
and Ram Vilas Paswan
to condemn the killing of Bihari youth Rahul Raj and demanded action. According to Lalu, the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
had assured him of taking proper action in the matter. Former Delhi
Police chief and the current Nagaland Governor Nikhil Kumar
(then a MP from Bihar) also heavily criticised the police action. JD(U) MPs from Bihar resigned to protest Rahul Raj's murder. The move came after one of the doctors doing post-mortem claimed that one of the bullets that hit him may have been fired from close range. However, the autopsy report on Rahul Raj revealed that he had been shot from a distance of 4 metres. The Lok Sabha
speaker Somnath Chatterjee
have accepted the resignation of five Janata Dal (United)
MPs' resignation Though the Maharashtra government offered a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the youth's family, however, the relatives turned down the offer. The MNS general secretary Shirish Parkar accused the ruling Congress
and NCP
parties trying to appease both Marathis
and North Indians and their leaders.
Some of the reactions of eminent people on the incident are as follows:
Laloo Yadav later tried to encash this incident politically by getting the father of Rahul Raj to campaign for him.
The Supreme court on November 10, 2008, refused a judicial inquiry in the encounter of Rahul Raj.
crime branch. Another high level probe has been ordered by the Maharashtra government which is conducted by Maharashtra chief secretary Johny Joseph
. When Maharashtra chief secretary Johny Joseph recently visited the hospital to record Manoj Bhagat's statement, the injured man was unable to recall the incident and the sequence of events. Bhagat was shot at by Rahul Raj.
A Public Interest Litigation was filed in the apex court to seeks judicial probe into the killings of Rahul Raj. Supreme Court issued a notice to the Maharashtra government asking it to respond to allegations of violence against north Indians by MNS workers. The court, however, turned down the plea for a judicial probe into the controversial encounter death of Rahul Raj. Meanwhile Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh
held an all party meeting in Mumbai to discuss steps to stop violence on North Indians.He is planning to lead an all party delegation to meet the Prime Minister on this issue.
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
, Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, took place on 27 October 2008, aboard a BEST
Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport
The BEST ) is Mumbai's public transport service and electricity provider....
bus in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Raj was killed in the shootout with the police after he held a bus with 12 passengers hostage in suburban Kurla
Kurla
Kurla is a suburb of Mumbai. It is also the name of one the busiest railway stations on the Mumbai suburban railway on the central and harbour railway lines of Mumbai...
. The Mumbai police
Mumbai Police
The Mumbai Police is the police force of the city of Mumbai, India. It has the primary responsibilities of law enforcement and investigation within the limits of Mumbai. The department's motto is ""...
alleged that he wanted to assassinate the MNS
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is a political party based in Maharashtra operating on the motto of "Sons of the Soil". It was founded on the March 9, 2006 in Mumbai by Raj Thackeray after he left the Shiv Sena due to differences with Uddhav Thackeray and sidelining in major decisions like...
chief, Raj Thackeray
Raj Thackeray
Raj Shrikant Thackeray is the founder and president of the right-wing Marathi ethnocentric regional political party, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in the state of Maharashtra, India...
. The incident sparked fierce criticism of the police and discussions nationwide, especially from the Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
politicians. The incident was also seen as a rise of Bihari
Bihari people
The Biharis are an ethnic group originating from the present state of Bihar with a history going back three millennia...
sub-nationalism to counter the agitation against migrants from Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
and Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
by MNS
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is a political party based in Maharashtra operating on the motto of "Sons of the Soil". It was founded on the March 9, 2006 in Mumbai by Raj Thackeray after he left the Shiv Sena due to differences with Uddhav Thackeray and sidelining in major decisions like...
.
Shooting Incident
On 27 October 2008, Rahul Raj, a 25-year-old man from Patna, boarded a double decker city bus route No. 332 plying between KurlaKurla
Kurla is a suburb of Mumbai. It is also the name of one the busiest railway stations on the Mumbai suburban railway on the central and harbour railway lines of Mumbai...
and Andheri at Saki Naka
Saki Naka
Sakinaka is a suburb in Mumbai. Earlier, it was a primarily industrial area of Mumbai, but due to its improved connectivity and prime location, it is now a prime business district with various call centres and commercial offices....
stop around 10 am and went to the upper deck. Rahul, wielding a country made revolver, had taken control of the bus and injured one passenger. He was protesting against the attacks on north Indian candidates appearing for a railway examination recently. He also wanted to talk to the Mumbai Police Commissioner and media. The three key eyewitnesses, including the bus conductor, have told the crime branch that Bhagat, the injured passenger, was injured by Rahul Raj's bullet.
Rahul reportedly said that he was not there to harm passengers but instead wanted to ‘kill Raj Thackeray’.According to senior inspector, Dadasaheb Godse, Vinoba Bhave station, Kurla, Raj shouted
However, he allegedly attacked the conductor of the bus and injured a passenger with his revolver. The bus was taken to the nearest police station. According to key eye-witnesses, Rahul fired multiple shots: One outside the bus on seeing the police which lodged in the metal frame of the bus. He also fired a shot at a hostage passenger Bhagat, who had ducked between the seats on firing of the first shot. In a subsequent police shoot out, Mumbai Police shot him dead. A special team of officers entered the bus and went to the upper deck of the bus. Three police officers fired 13 shots, 4 of which hit Rahul Raj, which was confirmed by a four-member panel of forensic experts at J J Hospital
"I want to kill Raj Thackeray. I have nothing against the passengers. Don’t shoot me.”.
Grant Medical College and Sir Jamshedjee Jeejebhoy Group of Hospitals
The Grant Medical College, Mumbai is a medical school affiliated to the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Nashik. Founded in 1845, it is one of the premier medical institutions in India and is one of the oldest institutions teaching Western medicine in Asia.The Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy...
carried out a post-mortem on Rahul. Three hit him in the head and one went through his heart. It was alleged that police could have taken him into custody. According to the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials adopted by UN General Assembly resolution 34/169 of 17 December 1979, Article 3 states that,
"Law enforcement officials may use force only when strictly necessary and to the extent required for the performance of their duty."
ACP Sadanand Date
Sadanand Date
Sadanand Date is an officer of 1990 batch of Indian Police Service . He has held several important posts at both state and national levels of the IPS, including serving as deputy inspector general of police in the Central Bureau of Investigation . He gained a doctorate from Pune University , having...
a highly decorated police officer overseeing the operation (who was later seriously injured and attracted international attention during the November 2008 Mumbai attacks because of his actions resisting terrorists at the Cama and Albless Hospital
Cama Hospital
The Cama & Albless Hospital is a major hospital for women and children in the city of Mumbai, India, with 367 beds.-History:It was attacked during the 2008 Mumbai attacks. It appears that the situation at Cama Hospital has been resolved as of Thursday morning; however, it is unknown whether the...
), later told reporters that Rahul Raj had fired upon the police & also shot a hostage passenger. Hence the police had to fire in retaliation.
Timeline
Around 9.20 am, Rahul Raj, travelling on a double-decker bus on route 332 from Andheri (East) to Kurla station, tries to strangle upper deck conductor. Some passengers flee downstairsBus stops near Bail Bazaar police chowky in Kurla. Conductor alerts cops
Policeman approaches Rahul, but is fired at. He escapes unhurt & calls in forces. By 9.35, about 100 cops cordon off the bus and ask 4 passengers to come down
An angry Rahul brandishes the revolver, asks to speak to media and police chief. Police tell him to surrender, but he throws down currency notes claiming he has come to kill Raj Thackeray
He also fires four rounds, injuring passenger Manoj Bhagat, a 25-year-old finance executive from Sakinaka, in the thigh. Around 9.54 am, as he is distracted by loudspeakers, armed cops enter the bus and shoot Rahul
Mujhe (police) commissioner se baat karna hai. Media ko bulao. Main kissi ko marna nahin chahta. I want to kill Raj Thackeray (Written in Hindi on a currency note and thrown out of the bus window) —RAHUL RAJ
Rahul shot at least four bullets from an illegal country-made revolver, one at a policeman trying to reach the bus’ upper deck, one into the thigh of a passenger and a couple in the air.
Reactions and protests
The Deputy Chief Minister R. R. PatilR. R. Patil
Raosaheb Ramrao Patil, better known as R. R. Patil , is an Indian politician from the state of Maharashtra. He is a leader of the Nationalist Congress Party. He became Home Minister of Maharashtra for the second time after the 2009 Maharashtra assembly election victory of the Congress-NCP alliance...
, who also heads the home department of the state, justified the police action against Rahul Raj, saying: "I fully justify the police action. If someone is firing at the police, they will not be silent spectators. Police opened fire at Rahul Raj only after he refused to surrender or hand over his revolver to the police. The police had no option but to fire at him".
The killing of Rahul Raj sparked a row between the politicians of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
and Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
with several parties demanding a judicial probe into the incident. The father of Rahul Raj, K.P. Singh, earlier said he would appeal to President of India
President of India
The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...
Pratibha Patil
Pratibha Patil
Pratibha Devisingh Patil is the 12th President of the Republic of India and first woman to hold the office. She was sworn in as President of India on 25 July 2007, succeeding Dr. A.P.J...
for justice. Unable to meet President Pratibha Patil to seek justice, he planned to file a writ petition in the supreme court and seek justice from National Human Rights Commission
National Human Rights Commission of India
The National Human Rights Commission of India is an autonomous statutory body established on 12 October 1993, under the provisions of The Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 .-Functions:...
(NHRC).
Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav
Lalu Prasad Yadav
Lalu Prasad Yadav is an Indian politician from Bihar. He was the Minister of Railways from 2004 to 2009 in the ruling United Progressive Alliance government, and the President of the Rashtriya Janata Dal political party...
, also from the state of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, joined hands with his archrivals Nitish Kumar
Nitish Kumar
Nitish Kumār is an Indian politician currently serving as Chief Minister of Bihar, an eastern state of India. He leads the Janata Dal party...
and Ram Vilas Paswan
Ram Vilas Paswan
Ram Vilas Paswan is the president of the Lok Janshakti Party and a Rajya Sabha MP.-Early life and education:Paswan was born to a Dusadh family...
to condemn the killing of Bihari youth Rahul Raj and demanded action. According to Lalu, the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
had assured him of taking proper action in the matter. Former Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
Police chief and the current Nagaland Governor Nikhil Kumar
Nikhil Kumar
Nikhil Kumar is the currentGovernor of Nagaland. He was appointed Governor of Nagaland on 4 October 2009 by The President of India,Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil. He was a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India, representing the Aurangabad constituency in Bihar as a member of the Indian National...
(then a MP from Bihar) also heavily criticised the police action. JD(U) MPs from Bihar resigned to protest Rahul Raj's murder. The move came after one of the doctors doing post-mortem claimed that one of the bullets that hit him may have been fired from close range. However, the autopsy report on Rahul Raj revealed that he had been shot from a distance of 4 metres. The Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
speaker Somnath Chatterjee
Somnath Chatterjee
Somnath Chatterjee is an Indian politician who had been associated with the Communist Party of India for most of his life, though he is currently an independent...
have accepted the resignation of five Janata Dal (United)
Janata Dal (United)
Janata Dal is a political party in India with political presence mainly in Bihar and Jharkhand. Janta Dal party mentor and patron is "Veteran Socialist leader" George Fernandes; George Fernandes broke away from the erstwhile Janata Dal and formed the Samata Party in 1994. Presently it is led...
MPs' resignation Though the Maharashtra government offered a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the youth's family, however, the relatives turned down the offer. The MNS general secretary Shirish Parkar accused the ruling Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
and NCP
Nationalist Congress Party
The Nationalist Congress Party is a centre to centre left political party primarily based in the state of Maharashtra, India.-Background:...
parties trying to appease both Marathis
Marathi people
The Marathi people or Maharashtrians are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, that inhabit the Maharashtra region and state of western India. Their language Marathi is part of the southern group of Indo-Aryan languages...
and North Indians and their leaders.
Some of the reactions of eminent people on the incident are as follows:
Laloo Yadav later tried to encash this incident politically by getting the father of Rahul Raj to campaign for him.
The Supreme court on November 10, 2008, refused a judicial inquiry in the encounter of Rahul Raj.
Investigation and Court cases
The investigation into the incident has been handed over to the MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
crime branch. Another high level probe has been ordered by the Maharashtra government which is conducted by Maharashtra chief secretary Johny Joseph
Johny Joseph
Johny Joseph is an Indian Administrative Service officer of 1972 batch. He graduated from Trivandrum Engineering College with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and served as commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation from 29 February 2004 to May 2007.Joseph was the Maharashtra's...
. When Maharashtra chief secretary Johny Joseph recently visited the hospital to record Manoj Bhagat's statement, the injured man was unable to recall the incident and the sequence of events. Bhagat was shot at by Rahul Raj.
A Public Interest Litigation was filed in the apex court to seeks judicial probe into the killings of Rahul Raj. Supreme Court issued a notice to the Maharashtra government asking it to respond to allegations of violence against north Indians by MNS workers. The court, however, turned down the plea for a judicial probe into the controversial encounter death of Rahul Raj. Meanwhile Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh
Vilasrao Deshmukh
Vilasrao Dagadojirao Deshmukh , popularly known as Vilasrao is the current Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Earth Sciences....
held an all party meeting in Mumbai to discuss steps to stop violence on North Indians.He is planning to lead an all party delegation to meet the Prime Minister on this issue.
See also
- 19 October 2008 Attack on Railway Recruitment examinees from Bihar in Mumbai
- 2008 attacks on North Indians in Maharashtra2008 attacks on North Indians in MaharashtraThe 2008 attacks on Uttar Pradeshi and Bihari migrants in Maharashtra began on 3 February 2008 after violent clashes between workers of two political parties—Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Samajwadi Party —at Dadar in Mumbai, capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra...
- Racism faced by the Bihari community in India