Minister quits, his was last call she got

Merajuddin said some criminals and politicians had ganged up to tarnish his image. Agra strongman Babulal known for his clout over the Jat community in the belt is an MLA from Fatehpur Sikri.

Members of the community blocked the Delhi highway today demanding the resignation of Kiranpal, the SP leader whose name has cropped up.

Babulal admitted to knowing Kavita, but said he had nothing to do with her disappearance. He also accepted the fact that he helped her and SP state president Ram Saran Das clarified that the party had not asked Kiranpal or any other party leader whose name was being involved in the case, for their resignation. Senior leader Beni Prasad Verma blamed the RLD leaders in the case.

SP8217;s own minister Kiranpal denied any involvement in the case. He said his name was being dragged into the controversy to settle personal scores. Kiranpal said he did not know Ravindra Pradhan, who had claimed that Kiranpal was his 8216;guru8217;. The issue has taken political colours with the Congress party chief in the state, Salman Khurshid and former PM VP Singh demanding a CBI probe.

Chief Minister Mualaym Singh Yadav speaking at Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh today said the case would not be handed over to the CBI as it would not solve any purpose. But if any minister or MLA was found guilty in the case, he would not be spared, he added.

On December 23 morning, the day she went missing and was subsequently murdered, Kavita received the last six calls on her mobile from the number of Chaudhary Babulal. The last of the six calls she received was at 12.27 pm that lasted 89 seconds, just a couple of hours before she went missing. She also called Babulal thrice the same day 8212; at 7.54 am, 7.55 am and 8.10 am.

8220;She always used to give me missed calls8230; I just called her back. When her missed calls stopped after December 23, I also stopped calling and never bothered to check on her. She wanted some help from me in her job8230;she was a very intelligent girl. I have no role in her murder8230;in fact, I even offered her to join the RLD,8221; Babulal told The Indian Express .

Mobile records of Babulal show that he had been talking to her at length since December 15.

Babulal has this explanation for his 57 calls, some of which extended till 11 minutes. 8220;She was introduced to me by another RLD leader, Rajkumar Sanghwan. We met a couple of times at the Circuit House in Meerut and she wanted to become the secretary of the Lalit Kala Academy in Meerut University for which the qualification is a Doctor in Literature D.Lit and over 35 years of age. She did not fulfill both conditions and so needed my help as her D.Lit was nearing completion8230;all our conversations were in this regard. All calls, barring a few are just for a couple of minutes or some seconds,8221; he said. He denies being black-mailed by Kavita.

Phone records show that the last calls Kavita received on her mobile before her murder were from Babulal. She, however, did call up her brother twice, once at 5.17 pm on October 23 and then the last time at 8 am on October 24. 8220;The tower location of both these calls made by Kavita is of Ghaziabad. She was drugged there by Ravindra Pradhan and Yogesh and later murdered,8221; says SSP Meerut Navniet Sekera.