UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday faced angry protests in Kunda in Pratapgarh district when he went to meet the family of the village pradhan and his brother who had been killed in Saturday night’s violence.
The Opposition, in Lucknow, did not allow the Vidhan Sabha to function throughout the day, demanding immediate arrest of Raja Bhaiyya who had resigned form his ministerial position on Monday after being named in the FIR for the murder of the DSP.
The chief minister, in Kunda, assured that anyone involved in the conspiracy and the murders would not be spared. He said that the matter had been referred to the CBI and there should be no politics on the issue. He said that his government would cooperate fully in the investigations and added that steps were being taken to strengthen the law and order situation in the state.
CBI sources in Delhi said, “The agency will soon start its probe into the killing of a senior police officer in Kunda district. The department of personnel and training (DoPT) will notify a CBI probe into the matter in a day or two.” Immediately after notification by the DoPT, the CBI will constitute a special team and start its investigation, sources said, adding the agency will also collect all relevant documents related to the case from the state police. The chief minister, however, remained evasive when reporters wanted to know why Raja Bhaiyya was not being arrested. Senior minister Azam Khan, who accompanied the chief minister, however, said, “Wait for some time.”
Mr Akhilesh Yadav gave also `20 lakhs each to the widows of the village pradhan Nanhe Yadav and his brother Suresh Yadav, both of whom had been shot dead in the Saturday violence.
It has been four days since the incident took place and preliminary investigations have not even been able to identify the killers as yet, which is responsible for mounting anger.
The chief minister had visited the slain DSP’s widow earlier this week and agreed to her demand for a CBI investigation into her husband’s killing.
The murdered pradhan’s wife had, thereafter, threatened to commit suicide unless Mr Yadav visited her family to hear their complaints and it was this that prompted his visit to Kunda, the constituency of Raja Bhaiyya.
Meanwhile, terming the killing of a DSP a “heinous crime”, the Centre on Wednesday said it has asked the Uttar Pradesh government to submit a report on the incident and ensure strict action against culprits.
Minister of state for home affairs R.P.N. Singh said the MHA has asked the state government to share facts of the case. “What happened in Pratapgarh is unfortunate. Policing and public order is a state subject. However, in this case, we have written to the UP government for details,” Mr Singh told reporters outside Parliament.