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Journalism of Courage
The Mathura police have booked former BSP minister Chaudhary Lakshmi Narain in connection with the alleged murder of a man in Mathura,which took place last year,and which the police had described as an accident.
Sanjeev Sikarwar was found dead a fortnight after he had sent a complaint to senior police officers in October last year,saying there was a threat to his life from certain people,including the then Agriculture Minister Chaudhary Lakshmi Narain,for highlighting a racket in adulteration of diesel.
The police on Saturday lodged an FIR at Kotwali police station against Narain,and his alleged associates Manoj Agarwal,Rohtan Singh,Ajay Pratap,and Yashveer Singh under various sections of IPC including 302 (murder) on the complaint of Sanjeevs father Shiv Kumar Sikarwar.
Kotwali Station Officer Chandra Bhan Singh said the FIR has been lodged following Allahabad High Courts directions. Singh said then Krishna Nagar police outpost in-charge has also been booked in the case for allegedly distorting evidence. Sikarwar has alleged that the outpost in-charge had filled the panchnama of Sanjeev,mentioning the body as unidentified,although he knew its identity.
Mathuras Additional SP(City) Raju Babu Singh said the FIR had been lodged on the basis of Sikarwars complaint as directed by the Allahabad High Court. Last year,the state government had ordered a Crime Branch-CID inquiry. However,the High Court ordered the Mathura SSP that an FIR be lodged on the complaint of Sikarwar.
Sikarwar,who is a private bus driver,said his son was a police informer and used to report illegal activities. He had also raised the alarm over alleged black-marketing and adulteration of diesel in Chhata area of Mathura by Lakshmi Narain and his associates,said Sikarwar.
In his application,which he sent to the SSP,DIG and IG of Mathura on October 12 last year,Sanjeev had said there was a threat to his life from people against whom he had tipped off the local police. Sanjeev had mentioned the name of Lakshmi Narain,Manoj Agarwal,Yashveer Singh and Ajay Pratap in his complaint.
On October 27,Sanjeevs mutilated body was found on a railway track in Mathura. The post mortem report said Sanjeev had ante-mortem injuries on his head,hand and chest and the death was caused by a heavy blow. One of his legs was dismembered.
Lakshmi Narain said the allegations against him were false. He said the police had already probed the case and concluded that Sanjeev died in an accident. The former minister said that he was being targeted by his political rivals and the complainant of the case has been their driver. He added that he was not known to other accused persons who are alleged to be his associates.
Lakshmi Narain had lost to Rashtriya Lok Dal candidate in the Assembly polls.
