For the first time in its history, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) summoned a leading politician to obtain his DNA sample. Former UP minister Amar Mani Tripathi, a prime suspect in the Madhumita Shukla murder case, was called to New Delhi early this week and his blood samples taken.Tripathi came to the Yashwant Place branch office of the CBI and gave his blood samples for DNA testing. Officials say the samples were taken in the presence of a medical panel and witnesses as is required by the law. The DNA sample has been sent to the Central DNA Fingerprinting Development laboratory in Hyderabad for testing.Madhumita Shukla was murdered on May 9 in Lucknow and she was pregnant. Her family had alleged that Tripathi, then a minister in the Mayawati government, had an affair with her. As public outcry increased, Mayawati asked the minister to quit.The investigating agency now has to see if the DNA fingerprints of the minister matches with those taken from the foetus. The agency expects to get Tripathi’s DNA report soon.The minister, who readily agreed to give the samples to the CBI, had refused to cooperate with the state CID which had investigated the case earlier. The State CID had gone to collect the samples but was turned away. Mayawati later handed over the case to the CBI.Among evidence the CBI is studying are Madhumita’s diaries, records of her telephone conversations and bills of gifts from the former Minister. Confronted with some of this, Tripathi told the CBI that his relationship with Madhumita was a thing of the past and that she had been seeing many other VIPs when she was murdered.
