The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the police to give protection to the wife and minor children of slain journalist Rajdev Ranjan in Bihar's Siwan district.

Ms. Asha Ranjan had moved the apex court for transfer of trial in the case out of Bihar. Her petition came immediately after media clips showed the two men charged with her husband’s murder accompanying former RJD MP Mohammed leader Shahabuddin, who was recently released on bail by the Patna High Court, and Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav.

One of them Mohammed Kaif recently surrendered, but the other, Mohammed Javed, is still at large. Acknowledging the case as an instance of how criminalisation of politics has affected the ordinary citizen and her dignity, the Supreme Court issued notice to the Bihar government, Mr. Yadav and Mr. Shahabuddin.