Lucknow, June 17
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Ms Mayawati, today handed over the Madhumita Shukla murder case to the CBI. In an apparent respite to the sacked Bahujan Samaj Party minister, Amarmani Tripathi, the Chief Minister said if the mother of Madhumita gave it in writing about the BSP legislator’s innocence, he would be reinstated in her ministry.
She took a serious note of the alleged laxicity on part of the CB-CID officials probing the case, who were to submit their report to the government today. Ms Mayawati placed under suspension the Director General CB-CID, Mahendra Lalka, and the Superintendent of Police Amitabh Yash, for not obeying the government orders.
She said the five CID officials involved in the case would be shifted and it would be endorsed in their service records. The probe had been handed over to the CBI on a request from the family of the slain poetess, she said.
However, if Madhumita’s mother, Ms Shanti Devi refused to give such an undertaking, Mr Tripathi would have to wait for the CBI’s clean chit. “If he is indicted, he would also have to leave the BSP Legislative Party,” she said.
The CID officials, Ms Mayawati said, had made no efforts get the truth. They had neither submitted the report today nor sought an extension for completing the probe. On May 17, she had transferred the probe from the city police to the CID and given it a month to submit its report. On the same day, she had sacked Mr Tripathi.
Meanwhile, the Opposition in Uttar Pradesh today criticised the Chief Minister for her statement that she would reinstate Amarmani Tripathi, if the mother of Madhumita gave it in writing about the BSP MLA’s innocence.
Ms Shanti Shukla said today in a letter faxed to the Governor, Mr Vishnu Kant Shastri, that she had not named anyone in the FIR.
PTI
