Don admits to having lost count of victims

BETTIAH: Rahul Singh, aka Devendra Singh, has perfected his craft of contract killing from Nepal to Delhi in a typical fashion in which Ram Gopal Verma essays his observation of the underworld on celluloid. A glaring instance as to how a don can be an equally keen follower of the Bollywood masala, churned out by Verma’s ilk, this mafia sharpshooter candidly laid bare the lethal mix of politics, crime and Bollywood ‘‘inspiration’’ before mediapersons here on Tuesday.
Rahul has been arrested by the Bettiah police in Patna on Monday night.He seems caught somewhere in the communal factor in the running of ‘the company’. Satya, Vastav and Company, contract killer Rahul has seen them all. He liked Vastav most. ‘‘The Don resembled Chhota Rajan, a Hindu’’, Rahul said. Verma’s Company is not the sharpshooter’s favourite because it portrays a Dawood Ibrahim-like character.
Rahul further boasted of his Hindutva credentials by proclaiming ‘‘links’’ with Ajai Srivastava, president of the Shiv Sena’s Delhi unit, who bought Dawood’s Mumbai property in a government auction.
West Champaran SP Anil Kishore Yadav sat mutely amused at the press conference as Rahul sang like a canary. ‘‘I have lost count of the number of people I shot dead,’’ he said while naming a number of dons and political leaders at whose behest he reportedly killed people. Rahul claimed links with Rajan Tiwary, Sunil Pandey and Suraj Bhan Singh, all alleged dons- turned-legislators in Bihar. He claimed an association with alleged don Chunnu Sharma and the Ranvir Sena.
He admitted an association with Ramesh Shahi who was killed in Nepal recently. ‘‘I have also worked for former Nepal minister Raj Para Yogi,’’ he said before claiming to have participated in an aborted mission in Delhi on a contract given allegedly by controversial MP D P Yadav.
‘‘D P Yadav’s nephew Satya Pal took me to Delhi from Patna by the Rajdhani Express. An official vehicle with red beacon light was at our disposal in Delhi. But I could not shoot Munna Bajrangi on the Tees Hazari court premises due to heavy police bandobast,’’ Rahul said.
A resident of Kesaria in East Champaran, Rahul admitted having shot dead several people, including prominent businessmen in Bettiah. He also named local white collar patrons, including politicians and a policeman.
‘‘Rahul Singh’s confession has brought out startling facts. We will not spare the patrons of crime,’’ the SP told Times News Network, adding, ‘‘we are seeking the help of Delhi police too’’.
Rahul dwelt on Nepal as a haven for criminals and smugglers. ‘‘Kya nahin hota hai wahan se,’’ he said, adding, ‘‘If the border is sealed, many will die of starvation’’.
The SP is upbeat after nabbing Rahul. White collar patrons of crime, including politicians, are under watch. ‘‘Safedposh benakaab honge’’, he promises. The SP’s assured revelations are awaited with bated breath here. ‘‘It raises a hope that crime will be rooted out’’, said a prominent businessman. The Bettiah Chamber of Commerce is hopeful too. It is a hope, businessmen pray, which does not go bust.