The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) claimed to have cracked Kunda DSP Zia-ul-Haque’s murder case when it arrested the slain gram pradhan, Nanhe Yadav’s son, Babloo Yadav and three others on Saturday.
The three others who were arrested are: the pradhan’s brothers, Pawan Yadav and Phoolchand Yadav, and Manjit Yadav, who performed the duty of the pradhan’s gunner.
CBI sources claimed that Babloo Yadav confessed to have shot dead the DSP with his country-made weapon in the night of March 2 in Balipur village in Pratapgarh district when . Haque was fighting for his survival after he was felled by a rampaging mob, which was infuriated on getting the news of the pradhan’s killing earlier. Babloo Yadav was a key accused in the DSP’s murder.
About the alleged role of the pradhan’s brothers and his gunner in the DSP’s murder, the CBI sources claimed that they were in the mob which had mercilessly assaulted the police officer with different kinds of blunt edged weapons before he was shot dead allegedly by the pradhan’s son. Sources said the CBI had also recovered the DSP’s mobile phone, as well as the weapon which was used in the officer’s killing. Haque was posted as Circle Officer of Kunda police station.
Narrating the sequence of events that led to the DSP’s killing, the sources said that . Haque had gone to the pradhan’s house in Balipur village on getting the news of his killing at the village market place on March 2. When the officer reached the pradhan’s house along with his gunner and other cops an angry crowd had already gathered there. Confronted by the mob a scuffle broke out and as the DSP was overpowered by the rampaging crowd, the other cops fled, leaving the Kunda DSP to his fate. Sources said the slain pradhan’s brother, Suresh Yadav, who was armed with a rifle and was among the persons involved in bashing up the DSP was killed when the trigger of his gun went off accidently.
Eyewitness accounts are understood to have told the CBI sleuths that the pradhan’s brother was beating the DSP with his rifle butt when the trigger accidently went off killing him on the spot. On hearing about the double murder of his father and “chacha” (uncle) an enraged Babloo Yadav came out of the house armed with a country-made pistol and allegedly shot down the DSP, who had already fallen on the ground as a result of the merciless beating by the mob, sources claimed.
Nanhe Yadav’s killing was the fallout of a land dispute between the deceased and Kamta Pal of the same village. On Sunday, the CBI arrested Ajay Pal and Vijay Pal, the sons of Kamta Pal, for their alleged involvement in the pradhan’s murder. Produced before the Special CBI court in Lucknow the two were sent to police custody remand. The remand period expires on April 16.
The gram pradhan of Balipur village, Nanhe Yadav, his brother Suresh Yadav and the DSP were shot dead in three separate, but inter-related incidents in Balipur village on March 2. The three killings were executed within a span of three hours. The sensational incident was not without its political fallout. Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya was asked to quit as Food and Civil Supplies Minister by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav after the Kunda MLA was named as an accused in the DSP’s killing in the FIR lodged by Haque’s wife, Parveen Azad.
