27 years later, govt moves to drop murder case against 12 

The clash dates back to May 7, 1996, that was a polling day of the Lok Sabha election in which former chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav contested from Mainpuri seat on a Samajwadi Party ticket. He won the election, defeating BJP candidate Updesh Singh Chauhan, who was one of the 12 accused booked in connection with the double murder case. Apart from Chauhan, three more persons, including Heera Singh, died during the trial.

Sources said the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government recently wrote to the Mainpuri district magistrate, directing that a withdrawal application be filed in the court where the murder case is pending. Asked about the matter, Mainpuri District Magistrate Avinash Krishna Singh said he needed to check.

According to the prosecution, on May 7, 1996, the victim Ram Bharosay Lal along with Samajwadi Party workers was sitting outside Guniya polling centre in Mainpuri. Ram Naresh, the complainant and son of the deceased, alleged that Updesh Singh Chauhan and his associates arrived at the Samajwadi Party polling booth in a vehicle and allegedly started verbally abusing people present there.

When Ram Bharosay raised an objection, Updesh Singh and his associates allegedly started beating up the victim and also opened fire on him. “The accused then forcibly took Ram Bharosey from the spot and killed him. They also set the body ablaze,” said a prosecuting officer.

The complainant lodged an FIR against 12 persons including Updesh Singh at the Kurra police station on several charges, including murder, rioting and causing disappearance of evidence of the offence.

Government counsel, Mainpuri, Pushpendra Dubey said the trial of the case is going on and so far, three witnesses have been examined. He denied having received a state government directive to file a withdrawal application in the court. “Of the 12 total accused, four including Updesh Singh Chauhan have died. Trial of other accused, who are out on bail, is pending. Three prosecution witnesses have been examined so far,” said Dubey.

In the same incident, a cross-FIR was filed by one Sidyal Singh against five persons for allegedly being involved in the murder of Sher Singh and kidnapping of Ram Avtar from near the same polling station on May 7, 1996. Sher Singh was shot dead. Of the five accused booked in the case, four of them have died. Ram Avtar remained untraceable since then.

“Ram Avtar was, later, considered to be murdered. In December, 2006 the then state government ordered for withdrawal of the case filed against the accused. Following the directive, the withdrawal application was moved in the concerned court. In May, 2010 the court allowed the application following which the case against the accused was withdrawn. In June, 2010 Heera Singh, one of the accused in the murder of Ram Bharosey, filed an appeal against the court order. Appeal is still pending in the session court,” said advocate Mahendra Bharadwaj, representing Heera Singh in court.

Mulayam Singh Yadav was Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh from August, 2003 to May, 2007.