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Mulayam Minister accused of running flesh trade racket

Atiq Khan

LUCKNOW: The inner party feud in the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh figuring senior leader and MP Beni Prasad Verma and a Cabinet Minister intensified with Mr.Verma charging the Minister with running a flesh trade racket in connivance with a police officer.

The senior Samajwadi Party leader, who had re-emerged as the number two in party hierarchy after Chief Minister, Mulayam Singh Yadav, made this sensational disclosure at a Press conference at his residence on Sunday. Without naming the Minister, Mr. Verma alleged that he was the kingpin in the flesh trade racket in Bahraich district and the entire operation was being managed by the controversial ASP, Hira Lal.

To strengthen his case against the Minister, Mr. Verma produced the former Samajwadi women's wing president of Ikauna Assembly constituency (in Bahraich), Gudiya Pathak, who was allegedly raped by the ASP at gunpoint.

She alleged that the ASP raped her for six months and following a complaint with the State Women's Commission, which was filed on November 7, 2006, the cop was issuing death threats to her. She said the Women's Commission Chairperson, Ranjana Bajpai, sent the panel's team to Bahraich but the report was scuttled by the Minister. She alleged that she was removed from the women's wing at the behest of the Minister.

The ASP was recently transferred from Bahraich after Mr. Verma raised his voice against the murder of Bahraich Zila Panchayat president, Ram Bhulan Verma.

Mr. Verma had alleged that the Minister was shielding the killers of the Zila Panchayat Chairman.

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