Divers scan Gomti for missing girl

Yadav, who was the last person seen with the girl, was Anandsen8217;s former driver. The BSP leader claims he sacked him two months ago. Yadav is at present in police remand. Another accused in the case, Seema Azad, is absconding.

While Anandsen is yet to be interrogated by the police, the UP Home Department sent a formal letter to the Centre on Wednesday seeking a CBI inquiry. The police are also in a dilemma over which line of investigation to follow since Yadav has been changing his statements. He had initially said the girl jumped into the river and committed suicide. A police source said Yadav subsequently said he had strangled Shashi and thrown her body into the Gomti.

IG Lucknow A K Jain told The Indian Express that officers were looking at every angle and corroborating Yadav8217;s statements.

Though the girl has been missing since October 22, her father Yogendra Prasad lodged an FIR only on October 31. Asked about the delay, DIG Faizabad P P Srivastava said Yogendra Prasad, a BSP supporter, began to suspect his daughter might have been kidnapped only after a week.

After filing the FIR, the police initially dragged its feet with the probe. Things picked up pace only after Prasad went public about his daughter8217;s relationship with Anandsen.

DIG Srivastava said Yadav is an accused in a murder case. 8220;The case is on trial. He had surrendered in Faizabad court a week ago in the same case,8221; he said. While he was in jail, news broke about the missing girl and the police began to interrogate him since he was employed with Anandsen at the time.