PATNA, Aug. 31 -- A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Bihar's Muzaffarpur on Saturday held three accused in the sensational murder of journalist Rajdeo Ranjan guilty while acquitted three others, including Azharuddin Baig alias Laddan Mian who is said to be a close associate of late RJD MP and strongman Mohammad Shahabuddin. Ranjan, a reporter with Hindustan newspaper, was shot dead at a busy fruit market in Siwan town on May 13, 2016. Lawyers attached to the case said that the quantum of punishment is likely to be pronounced on September 10. The Bihar government had recommended the case to CBI for probe on May 17, 2016 after at Ranjan's wife Asha Ranjan's request. Defence lawyer Sharad Sinha told reporters that the special CBI court of ADJ-3 Namita Singh held guilty three of the accused identified as Vijay Kumar Gupta, Sonu Kumar Gupta and Rohit Kumar Soni and acquitted three others including Laddan, Rishu and Rajesh. "Three people have been acquitted due to lack of evidence and three have been found guilty. This proves that the court has delivered fair justice," added Sharad Sinha. "The CBI has produced 69 witnesses, 111 exhibits during the trial while the accused were asked 183 questions. We will also appeal in the higher court so that the rest of the accused can also be punished," said CBI counsel Rajesh Dubey. The central agency began a probe into the case on the intervention of the Supreme Court after the slain journalist's wife filed a petition before it on September 23, 2016. Asha Ranjan claimed before the top court that the CBI had not even initiated a probe into the case due to "political influence" and "fear of Mohammad Shahabuddin". The top court had directed the CBI to proceed with its probe into the murder and asked the Bihar police to provide protection to Ranjan's family, which claimed receiving threats from Shahabuddin. On May 25, Siwan police arrested five people including Rohit Kumar Soni, Vijay Kumar Gupta, Rajesh Kumar, Rishu Jaiswal and Sonu Kumar Gupta in connection to the murder of Rajdeo Ranjan and recovered three motorcycles, a country-made pistol of 7.65 mm bore and two live cartridges from their possession. The recovered pistol matched the bullets recovered from the crime scene, police had said. Rohit was allegedly hired by Laddan Mian, who police initially suspected as one of the shooters. Ladan Mian was released just 15 days before Rajdeo's murder from Siwan jail. On June 2, 2016, Laddan surrendered before the court....