City court to frame charges against UP legislator

The CBI counsel,earlier,submitted that there was sufficient “prima facie” evidence to frame murder charge against the accused.

Initially,former Samajwadi Party MLA and eight others were arraigned as accused for killing Rakesh Pandey —a witness in a triple murder case against them — on February 17,2003 at Gopiganj police station at Sant Ravidas Nagar district near Varanasi.

However,two accused,Vinod Kumar Singh and Bashir Khan,died and third accomplice Santosh was declared a proclaimed offender after he absconded.

The case was transferred to the national capital from UP by the Supreme Court on March 28,2008,on the ground that fair trial was not possible against the accused leader in the state.

While shifting the trial,the apex court considered the fact that the former MLA allegedly killed a person who was to depose against him in the murder case.