NEW DELHI, 30 December 2003 — The report which did prove costly for former Bihar Director General of Police D.P. Ojha and led to his sacking, revealed that Shahabuddin alias “Shahabu”, the notorious RJD MP from Siwan, had hatched a conspiracy to eliminate Tehelka.com CEO Tarun Tejpal by hired criminals.
Ojha, who submitted a detailed report to the Bihar government mentioning Shahabu’s criminal activities and his alleged links with the terrorist groups, was removed from the post on Dec. 6. Ojha had submitted his report a day earlier on Dec. 5, a copy of which is now with Arab News, the only newspaper to get a copy of this 70-page highly confidential report, now lying with the state government.
The report revealed that Shahabuddin had hired contract killer Pappu Dev of Begusarai to get the work done. The motive behind the planned Tejpal killing was to destabilize the Vajpayee-led NDA government at the center.
Tejpal’s Tehelka.com portal had exposed the corruption in defense deals at the center. The Tehelka report exposed many central ministers and leaders of BJP and its ally Samata Party. Defense Minister George Fernandes, BJP chief Bangaru Laxman, Samata chief Jaya Jaitley and Minister of State D. Srinivas Prasad had to quit.
