'My son wanted revenge on Raj'

02 November,2010 06:44 AM IST |   |  Ketan Ranga

After two years of obscurity, Rahul Raj's father says his son's actions were triggered by the thrashing he got at the hands of MNS workers during Rail Board exam at Kalyan


After two years of obscurity, Rahul Raj's father says his son's actions were triggered by the thrashing he got at the hands of MNS workers during Rail Board exam at Kalyan

Two years after Rahul Raj (25) was shot dead in a BEST bus at Andheri, his father Kundan Raj Prasad has finally broken his silence. And Kundan is a furious man seeking to quash all the rumours surrounding his son's death.
On October 27, 2008, Rahul came to the city armed with a desi pistol and took bus no 332 hostage.


Bihar resident Rahul Raj had taken a BEST bus (no 332) hostage at Andheri on Oct 27, 2008. He was armed with a pistol and said he wanted to kill MNS chief Raj Thackeray. He was gunned down after
he refused to surrender to the police


His intention was to kill Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's chief Raj Thackeray. Some said he was angry because of the agitation by the MNS against the North Indians and some said that he was mentally unfit.

Kundan told MiD DAY that his son has been wrongfully portrayed.

Kundan said, "Raj was a para-medical student and never wanted to join the Railways. However, his friends wanted to take the exam on Oct 19, 2008 in Kalyan, Thane and other Mumbai suburbs. On their insistence, he accompanied them."

On the day, MNS and Sena protested at the exam venues. They assaulted many students at the railway stations and outside the exams halls. "He cried for help but no one came to his rescue."

Kundan added, "Rahul returned home but did not tell me about the beating. However, his friends told me of the incident. My son used to be quiet and contemplative but the beating had taken a toll on him emotionally."

Message to Thackeray Kundan claims that Raj felt that Thackeray should be taught a lesson for triggering atrocities against innocent people.

"He left for Mumbai to teach Thackeray a lesson but, was murdered by the Mumbai police," added Raj.
Kundan feels that Mumbai police's way of handling this incident and MNS's style of politics are responsible for his son's demise and feels that the police could have made him surrender.

Earlier this year, Kundan also appealed to the Patna High Court, as the Mumbai Esplanade Court had said that it was not a fake encounter by cops and closed the case. Kundan Raj also filed an RTI application and in September this year it was revealed that all the police officials involved in the case were cleared.


Kundan Raj Prasad, father of Rahul Raj who was shot dead in a BEST bus no 332 at Andheri, on October 27, 2008

"How can the Mumbai police investigate an encounter by the Mumbai police itself? There should be a CBI inquiry on this. Hence, I filed a petition in the Patna High Court and soon the case will restart and my son will get justice. The cops could have easily arrested him and not killed him," said Kundan.

Flashback
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On 27 October 2008, around 9.20 am, Rahul Raj, took bus number 332, which plied from Andheri (East) to Kurla station and took the passengers hostage. He tried to strangle the conductor on the upper deck of the bus.

When the bus stopped near Bail Bazaar, Kurla the conductor alerted cops. The cops tried approaching Rahul but he fired at the cops.

By 9.35 am, about 100 cops cordon off the bus and ask for the passengers to come down.

When the police asked him to surrender he threw down currency notes and claimed that he had come to kill Raj Thackeray.
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Rahul also injured Manoj Bhagat, a 25-year-old finance executive from Sakinaka, a passenger on the bus. Later, the cops entered the bus and shot Rahul.

The Other Side

When MiD DAY contacted MNS for a reaction, Shirish Parkar, spokesperson for MNS said, "This had never come up earlier. If he was beaten up, the North Indians must understand that they should stay away from Maharashtra for the Railway exams. The students were beaten up because of the anger inside the public."

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Rahul Raj BEST bus Andheri MNS Rail Board exam Raj Thackeray