Who is Rameez Nemat Khan? The Controversial Figure Behind the Lalu Yadav Family Rift

Rohini Acharya alleged Rameez Nemat Khan, a friend of Tejashwi Yadav, also told her to quit politics.

In Patna and New Delhi, a family dispute within the Yadav clan has brought an unexpected name into the spotlight.

On Saturday, Rohini Acharya, daughter of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Yadav, announced her departure from politics and disassociation from her family. This declaration came just one day after RJD's significant electoral setback, securing merely 25 seats in the 243-member assembly.

Acharya, who previously donated a kidney to her father, revealed that RJD MP Sanjay Yadav, a close associate of her brother Tejashwi Yadav, had requested her exit from politics. "This is what Sanjay Yadav had asked me to do," she stated.

Intriguingly, she also mentioned another name - Rameez Nemat Khan.

Who exactly is this individual thrust into the limelight following Acharya's allegations? Until now, this name remained relatively unknown in media circles and Bihar's political landscape.

It has emerged that Rameez Nemat Khan is a longstanding friend of Tejashwi Yadav and an integral part of his inner circle. Their relationship evolved from cricket grounds to political arenas. According to RJD sources, Khan manages social media operations and campaign teams for both his friend and the party.

Originally from Uttar Pradesh, Rameez Nemat Khan is married to the daughter of former MP Rizwan Zaheer from Uttar Pradesh's Balrampur Lok Sabha constituency (now called Shravasti). His father-in-law served twice as an MP representing the Samajwadi Party and once with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Rizwan Zaheer also contested independently on one occasion.

At one point, Rizwan Zaheer held the distinction of being the youngest MLA in Uttar Pradesh.

Zeba Rizwan, Rameez Nemat Khan's wife, unsuccessfully contested the Tulsipur seat twice - once on a Congress ticket and once as an independent candidate while incarcerated.

Rameez Nemat Khan's legal troubles began with a case related to violence during the 2021 district panchayat election in Tulsipur. He was accused of attacking Congress leader Deepankar Singh and his associates.

In 2022, Rameez Nemat Khan, along with his wife, father-in-law Rizwan Zaheer, and three others, faced arrest for alleged conspiracy connected to the murder of Firoz Pappu, former president of Tulsipur Nagar panchayat.

While Rameez Nemat Khan has secured bail in several cases, others remain pending. Nine cases were registered against him in Balrampur and two in Kaushambi.

Among the serious charges he faces is another murder case from 2023 - the killing of Pratapgarh contractor Shakeel Khan, whose body was discovered near railway tracks in Kushinagar. Rameez Nemat Khan became implicated in this case following a complaint by the contractor's wife.

That same year, the UP government seized land valued at approximately Rs 4.75 crore purchased in Rameez Nemat Khan's name.

He was arrested under the Gangsters Act in July 2024 and granted bail in April this year.

Subsequently, Rameez Nemat Khan and his wife petitioned the Supreme Court, which instructed authorities to obtain local court permission before attempting to arrest him or initiate new legal proceedings.

Following the Supreme Court's directive, the couple has received relief in numerous other cases, and no fresh cases have been filed against them.

Born in November 1986, Rameez Nemat Khan is the son of Nematullah Khan, a professor at Jamia Millia Islamia.

Rameez Nemat Khan received his education at Delhi Public School, Mathura Road, before earning BA and MBA degrees from Jamia. A cricketer since childhood, he played for various age-group teams in Delhi and Jharkhand, and captained the Jharkhand Under-22 team in 2008-09. During this period, he developed his friendship with Tejashwi Yadav, which eventually led him into politics. In 2016, he joined the RJD and has since remained a key figure in Tejashwi Yadav's political team.