The Allahabad police on Saturday arrested Keshav Pandey,a former Zila Panchayat member of Sant Ravidas Nagar (Bhadohi),for his alleged involvement in the attack on UP Minister Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi. The police claimed that Pandey is a close associate of Samajwadi Party MLA from Bhadohi,Vijay Mishra,who has been named as one of the key conspirators behind the attack on Nandi. The incident dates back to July 12,when Nandi was injured in a bomb attack near his house. The Indian Express reporter,Vijay Pratap Singh,and a BSP worker died in the attack. The Allahabad DIG,Brij Bhushan,said they have also recovered a Maruti car and a motorcycle from outside the Sadguru Girdhari Ashram in Bhind district of Madhya Pradesh. The vehicles reportedly belong to Rajesh Pilot,alias Anand Shandilya,who is said to be responsible for triggering the blast outside Nandis house. Pilot was arrested in Mumbai earlier this week. He is lodged at the Allahabad jail at present. However,the Bhind SP,Chanchal Shekhar,said he was not aware about any operation by the Allahabad police in the district. Nobody from the Uttar Pradesh police contacted or sought any help from me or any of the officials in Bhind, he said. The Allahabad DIG said Pandey,a native of Lala Nagar locality in Bhadohi,had been in regular touch with Vijay Mishra and Pilot. He had also facilitated hideouts for Pilot. The phone call details of Mishra and Pilot revealed that Pandey had been talking to both regularly even after the attack.
