03/11/2025
The Siwan Acid Horror: A Tale of Terror
On August 16, 2004, the bustling town of Siwan, Bihar, was shaken by a crime so gruesome that it became a defining symbol of Shahabuddin’s reign of terror. That morning, Chanda Babu’s family life was destroyed in moments of unimaginable cruelty.
Chanda Babu was a respected local shopkeeper with three sons- Girish Raj, Satish Raj, and Rajiv Roshan. The trouble began after a dispute with a tenant close to Shahabuddin, who demanded extortion money. When the demands were refused, Shahabuddin’s men descended on Gaushala Road, Siwan, and abducted Girish and Satish while their father was away.
The two brothers were taken to Pratappur, Shahabuddin’s stronghold in Siwan. There, under his direct orders, Girish and Satish were forced to endure one of the most brutal punishments- it is said Shahabuddin declared, “Since Girish threatened my men with acid, he should learn how acid hurts.” His men then doused both brothers in acid, causing them agonizing pain. Their bodies were mutilated further, chopped up and rubbed with salt, ensuring their suffering was prolonged before death finally claimed them.
The third brother, Rajiv Roshan, managed to escape the scene and was the key witness who could bring Shahabuddin to justice. However, ten years later, days before he was about to testify, Rajiv was shot dead-again allegedly at Shahabuddin’s behest. This systematic destruction left Chanda Babu with a disabled son, a broken family, and haunting memories; his shop closed, his daughters forced to flee Siwan out of fear, and his wife left unable to walk after an accident.
This acid horror stands as the most infamous chapter of Bihar’s “jungle raj,” a period marked by lawlessness and political protection of criminals. Even today, the story of the Prasad family’s ordeal chills anyone who reads it- a stark reminder of how terror once ruled Bihar.
