Maya minister booked in murder case

Mathura police have booked former BSP minister Chaudhary Lakshmi Narain in connection with the alleged murder of a man in Mathura last year, 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 Sanjeev's father Shiv Kumar Sikarwar.

Kotwali Station Officer Chandra Bhan Singh said the FIR was lodged following Allahabad High Court's directions. Singh said the then Krishna Nagar police outpost in-charge has also been booked 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.

Mathura's Additional SP (City) Raju Babu Singh said the FIR had been lodged on the basis of Sikarwar's 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, 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 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 names of Lakshmi Narain, Manoj Agarwal, Yashveer Singh and Ajay Pratap in his complaint.

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