A district court in Bhind on Friday issued an arrest warrant against State Minister lal Singh Arya for his alleged involvement in the murder of an MlA, Makhan Singh Jatav, in 2009, ANI reported. Arya is Madhya Pradesh's Minister of State for General Administration.
Jatav, then the MlA from Bhind, was shot dead on April 13, 2009, in Gohad while campaigning for Congress candidate Bhagirath Prasad in the lok Sabha election. An eyewitness, Banwarilal Jatav, informed the local court in Bhind that he had seen and heard Arya give instructions to kill the legislator, News18 reported.
Eight people had been named as accused in the murder case, but Arya was not among them. Judge Yogesh Gupta of the Bhind court ordered that the Minister's name be included among the accused and an arrest warrant issued against him.
Banwarilal Jatav, an eyewitness, had deposed before the court and said Arya exhorted someone to shoot Jatav on that day.
Jatav's wife, Shila Jatav, had also told the court that her husband was apprehensive of the Minister.
As many as eight people were named as accused in the Jatav murder case and Arya did not figure in the list.
The Congress was quick to pounce on the issue. Party spokesperson JP Dhanopia said they would approach the Governor seeking Arya's ouster from the Cabinet if he doesn't resign.
leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Ajay Singh has demanded immediate removal of General Administration Minister lal Singh Arya from the Cabinet after he was found accused in the murder of MlA Makhanlal Jatav and issuance of arrest warrant against him by district court on Friday.
Singh has urged CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan to respect the verdict of court and remove Arya from the Cabinet.
Singh in a statement said that Arya is now a murder accused and should not hold the responsibility of Minister and he should immediately resign.