Lucknow, June 10: A day after the family of murdered UP police constable Krishnanand Rai demanded a CBI probe into his killing, Jamuna Prasad Nishad, sacked on Sunday as Fisheries Minister by Chief Minister Mayawati, was arrested in Lucknow on Tuesday morning.

Rai was shot dead when a mob led by Nishad, protesting police mishandling of a rape case, attacked the Maharajganj police station late Saturday night.

Nishad’s arrest is being seen as a damage-control exercise by Mayawati who had earlier ruled out his arrest until completion of a magisterial probe into the incident. Nishad has been named as an accused in the killing of the constable.

Addressing a press conference, DGP Vikram Singh said the police went to Nishad’s residence to arrest him. “They were told that Nishad had gone to the Chief Minister’s house to attend a meeting. The police arrested him on the way,” he said. Nishad was produced in court and, on a police application for transit remand, sent to Maharajganj.

Meanwhile, Mayawati on Tuesday issued a stern warning to all BSP MLAs and MPs, saying they will have to face the consequences if they take the law into their hands. “Do not go to a police chowki or thana. If you have any complaint against any officer, come to the government and lodge your complaint but don’t go to the chowki or thana,” she was quoted as having said at a meeting of party leaders.

BSP sources said the CM had received “serious complaints” against seven ministers and action had been taken against three of them so far. “The rest too will face the music if they fail to mend their ways,” the BSP sources said.

Mayawati has also hit back at SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav for alleging that the BSP has 22 ministers with criminal history. “It seems as if the Leader of the Opposition is recalling his own old days and his own cabinet. It is good that he remembers the background of his ministers,” she said.