In a senstaional shoot out inside Baghpat District Jail on Monday morning, east UP monster Prem Prakash Singh aka Munna Bajrangi was shot dead by west UP ganglord Sunil Rathi.
The killing took place barely few hours after Bajrangi was shifted from Jhansi to Baghpat jail to produce him in a local court in connection with an extortion case.
On June 29, at a press conference in lucknow, Bajrangi’s wife Seema Singh had sought protection for her husband apprehending threat to his life and alleged that UP Police was planning to kill him during his transit from Jhansi jail to Baghpat where he was to be produced in a local court. She even charged that a senior STF officer was orchestrating her husband’s killing.
As per reports, Bajrangi was brought to Baghpat district jail from Jhansi jail on Sunday night to be produced in an extortion case on Monday morning. Bajrangi had allegedly madethe extortion call to former BSP MlA lokesh Dikshit.
Early on Monday morning, Bajrangi had a tiff with west UP don Sunil Rathi, also lodged in the Quarantine barrack of Bareilly jail. The incident culminated in Rathi firing 10 rounds from a 9mm pistol from close range and hitting Bajrangi on his head and torso after which he collapsed and died. Rathi later threw the handgun in a gutter inside the jail.
Reacting to the killing, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that stern action will be taken against those found guilty. “Such an incident occurring inside a jail is a serious matter. An in-depth probe will be conducted and strict action be taken against those responsible,” Yogi told mediapersons in Moradabad on Monday morning.
Admitting negligence on part of jail officials, ADG (Prisons) Chandra Prakash suspended four officials including Jailor Udai Pratap Singh, Deputy Jailor Shivaji Yadav, HeadWarder Arjinder Singh and Warder Madhav Kumar of Bagpath district jail.
Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar disclosed that an enquiry by a Judicial Magistrate has been ordered, as per procedure prescribed by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), to probe how an inmate got access to a firearm inside the jail. He said that an FIR was registered against accused Sunil Rathi.
“The NHRC has been informed and the autopsy would be done by a panel of doctors which will be video recorded,” Kumar said and added that senior officials have rushed to the scene of crime.
Meanwhile, Bajrangi’s wife Seema Singh and other kin rushed to the CM’s residence in lucknow to register their protest but as the CM was not in the city, they returned.
She latertold newsmen that a few days back Bajrangi was attacked inside Jhansi jail. She claimed that some politicians and businessmen also conspired to kill her husband. She said that Bajrangi had informed the court about the threat to his life and also provided the names of suspects to the concerned court.
Bajrangi’s lawyer said in Baghpat that they had made the CM aware of the threat to Bajrangi’s life yet no action was taken.
Munna Bajrangi was involved in at least 40 killings in the state and was the prime accused in the murder of BJP MlA Krishnand Rai in Ghazipur in 2005.
Bajrangi was arrested from Mumbai by Delhi Police after the UP government and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) announced a reward of Rs 7 lakh on his arrest. Bajrangi also contested the 2012 Assembly elections from Madiyahu seat of Jaunpur district as a joint candidate of Apna Dal and Peace Party but came third bagging 12 per cent votes.