Even as the trial proceeding in the sensational Manjunath murder case was deferred to Saturday due to lawyers’ strike in the Lakhimpur Kheri court, the investigation officer in the case, P K Shukla, has been transferred from Lakhimpur district to Lucknow. He had sought the transfer on the ground that his wife was ill. Shukla would continue to investigate the case. When contacted, Shukla said his wife had been sufferring from high blood pressure. He maintained his transfer would not affect the fate of the case in any way.

Meanwhile, according to S K Singh, the lawyer enagaged by the Manjunath Trust to assist the prosecution, a fresh date may be sought for examining witnesses when the case comes up for hearing tomorrow. Lakhimpur Kheri SP Zaki Ahmed said: ‘‘We have already issued an order asking Shukla to handle the case till continuance of the trial. He would remain associated with the case as he had been in the past,’’ Ahmed said.