Five decades after the fatal grenade attack that claimed the life of former Railways Minister Lalit Narayan Mishra on January 2, 1975, in Samastipur, Bihar, the case remains mired in controversy and alleged cover-ups.
Despite a 2014 verdict finding four persons guilty, questions continue to surround the completeness and impartiality of the inquiry.
In a fresh move, BJP leader and Member of Parliament Ashwini Kumar Choubey has approached the Delhi High Court, urging a court-supervised investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Choubey contends that the individuals convicted in the case are not the real masterminds and that the original probe lacked the requisite depth into a broader political conspiracy.
In his petition, Choubey claims that a ‘large-scale political plot’ targeted the influential leader to eliminate him before he could join the JP movement.
According to the submission, Mishra planned to meet Jayaprakash Narayan and prepared to join the movement, which significantly threatened the government of the time.
The petition asserts that the CBI’s investigation was neither thorough nor impartial, and that the true conspirators remain at large.
A division bench comprising Justices Vivek Chaudhary and Manoj Jain has fixed November 11 for hearing the petition.
During the hearing, the court will consider whether to direct the CBI to reopen the investigation and operate under judicial supervision.
The 1975 Samastipur Attack
On January 2, 1975, during a rail-project event at Samastipur, a grenade blast severely injured Mishra; he succumbed to his injuries the next day. Two others were killed, and multiple persons were wounded.
After a legal battle that lasted decades, a Delhi court convicted four members of the Ananda Marga organisation in December 2014 for murder, criminal conspiracy, and the use of explosives.
However, the petition lodged by Choubey claims that this verdict did not uncover the full chain of actors behind the attack.
Choubey’s earlier efforts include a letter to the Prime Minister (dated 27 May) requesting a new CBI investigation. The petition asserts that the authorities will serve justice only when they hold the ‘real culprits’ accountable and bring the case to its true conclusion.
As the hearing approaches, the focus will be on whether the judiciary will mandate fresh investigative steps, and whether the state will respond to demands for closure in this half-century-old saga.
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