Former SO of Hathigawan under CBI scanner

The CBI has questioned Shukla several times about his links with Singh and some other aides of former minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya,who had to resign from the Akhilesh Yadav government after Parveen Azad,widow of DSP Ziaul Haque,named him as a conspirator in the murder of her husband. Sources said that the call detail records of Shukla and Singh showed that the latter called up the SO within 10 minutes of pradhan’s murder on March 2. When questioned in this regard,the SO told the CBI that he received information about Nanhey Yadav’s murder from Singh that evening.

The sources said that Singh asked Shukla to rush to the spot and give him details of the incident. Also,Shukla talked to Singh several times that night on his personal mobile number. He could not give a convincing reply to the CBI about his conversation with Singh when there was a serious law and order situation after the pradhan’s murder.

Besides,the sources also said the CDRs showed frequent conversations between Shukla and Singh after the former was posted as SO at Hathigawan police station.

Earlier this month,then Pratapgarh Additional SP (ASP) Asha Ram,who conducted an enquiry into the role of eight policemen who had accompanied Haque at Balipur village on March 2,had recommended dismissal of Shukla and three others,including ex-SHO of Kunda Sarvesh Kumar Mishra. The ASP had found them guilty of deserting Haque after the mob attacked him,causing his death.

When inquired about the dismissal,Allahabad zone Inspector General Alok Sharma said that the proceedings for the dismissal of the policemen were going on.