Close on the heels of facing a gang rape charge by a girl in Shahjahenpur, state minister for backward class welfare, Ram Murti Singh Verma, finally seems to have fallen in deep trouble when the local police in Shahjahenpur, had finally booked him for hatching a criminal conspiracy with the help of police personnel and his henchmen to eliminate a journalist.
The scribe, Jagendra Singh, who made allegations against the minister and local cops of Shahjahenpur in his ‘dying declaration’ before the magistrate, succumbed to his burn injuries on Monday evening. IG (law and order) A Satish Ganesh, who confirmed of registration of the case claimed that no one was arrested in the matter. Director General of Police, Arvind Kumar Jain, said that he directed DIG Bareilly Range, RKS Rathore, to get the probed on priority and take appropriate action in the matter.
Interestingly, so far not even the cops were placed under suspension and local officers already advocated their innocence in the matter. The same inspector was named in both the gang rape and now in murder along with Verma. However, just after the scribe succumbed, the same officers who refused to register a case even after the victim made a ‘dying declaration’ now get the case registered on Tuesday morning.
According to reports from Shahjahenpur, a FIR has been registered against Minister, Ram Murti Singh Verma, Station House Officer of Kotwali police station, inspector Shree Prakash Rai, besides four others identified as Gufran, Akash Gupta, Amit Pratap Singh and Bhure for allegedly killing Jagendra Singh by setting him afire. The FIR has been lodged under IPC 302 (murder), 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation). The FIR was registered at Kuthar police station on the basis of a complaint by Jagendra’s son Raghvendra, and it will be now transferred to Kotwali police station for further enquiry.
According to the family members of the deceased, Jagendra had posted something on Facebook against the minister regarding his alleged involvement in illegal mining and land grabbing. The family alleged that during a raid at the journalist’s house at Awas Vikas colony in Sadar Bazar area of Shahjahanpur on June 1 last, police officials brutally assaulted him and later set him afire, following which he was critically injured and was shifted to a hospital in lucknow.
Before his death, Jagendra had accused Verma of “unleashing” a reign of terror on him and his family for his investigative reports and comments against the minister. He claimed that on April 28 also, he was brutally assaulted by henchmen of the minister following which he received a fracture. It may be mentioned that a woman also accused Ram Murti Singh Verma, for forcibly calling her and later gang raped her. She said that the accused also threatened her with her life if she dared to reveal the incident to anyone. Interestingly, the local police in Shahjahenpur refused to take cognizance of the matter following which the victim proceed local court which now sought detail of the incident from district police chief of Shahjahenpur. In her complaint, woman alleged that on April 15 last, when she was going back home, one self-proclaimed journalist Amit Bhaduriya intercepted and told her that minister Ram Murti had called to meet in his office on April 19. She claimed to have refused but on April 30, she received a call on her mobile from Rammurti, who questioned that why did she not visited his home when he had called her. The minister again threatened her and asked her to meet him.
Savita further said that when she not went, the station house officer of Kotwali Police Station, Shree Prakash Rai met her and threatened that if she would not go and meet the minister than the leader would get her arrested in some swindling case. Kavita claimed that the SHO also forcibly took her to PWD Guest House where the said minister was present with his henchmen. She claimed that on directions of the minister, his henchmen left the room after which Rammurti asked SHO to ensure that no one would come inside.
later the minister caught hold of her and told that if she would accept his demand than he would get her a fair price shop license and if she would refused than he would get her kill. The minister also whipped out a revolver and later raped her. later three more accomplishes, identified as Amit Bhaduriya, Brahm Kumar Dixit and Gufran had raped her. They later freed her in the mid-night but with the warning that if she would quietly entertain them than she would be in gain otherwise even her body could not be located by her family members. Kavita also said that to have contacted the local police officers but when no one listen to her complaint, she went to court to seek justice.
Meanwhile, Congress leader, Surendra Rajput, demanded immediate removal of the minister and to constitute a high level probe in the matter. “The name of minister Ram Murti first in the gang rape case and now for conspiring to get a journalist killed, is a black spot on the ministry of Akhilesh Yadav, and the chief minister should not wait for a minute now and expelled such minister if he wanted to give justice in the matter”, asserted Congress spokesman, Rajput adding that a fair probe till Verma remained a minister is any ones guess.