Siwan bureau chief of Hindi daily Hindustan Rajdeo Ranjan was shot dead on May 13, 2016.
CBI today questioned Azharuddin Beig, prime suspect in the journalist Rajdeo Ranjan murder case and considered close to Rashtriya Janta Dal lawmaker Mohd Shahabuddin.
The CBI sources said the agency had got permission to question Beig alias Laddan Mian by October 3 from a local court as he is lodged in Gaya prison in a separate case.
They said the team today reached the prison and questioned him for several hours in connection with the murder of Ranjan, Siwan bureau chief of Hindi daily Hindustan who was shot dead on May 13, 2016.
The sources said two suspected sharpshooters--Mohammed Javed and Mohammed Kaif--allegedly worked for Laddan Mian. It is suspected that the contract to kill Mr Ranjan was allegedly given by Laddan Mian, the sources said.
They said he was earlier lodged in the Siwan prison but transferred from there to Gaya Central Jail.
The sources said Laddan Mian is considered close to politicians including Shahabuddin whose bail was recently cancelled by the Supreme Court in a separate case.
The agency has recently taken over investigation in the case, a move which came four months after the request of the state government.
Bihar Government had on, May 16, 2016, within three days of the murder, had handed over the probe to the central agency.
CBI sources said they had taken over the investigation in the murder case which has been registered under the IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy, murder and arms act. According to the rules, CBI takes over the same FIR which has been registered by the state police.
However, the sources said, the investigation of the agency is completely free and it may arrive at any conclusion which may or may not be in concurrence with the state police.