With government yet to decide on recommending the probe of sensational killing of former MlA Sarvesh Singh aka Seepu into the hands of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the family members of the slain leader finally went on hunger strike to press for their demand for an inquiry by a Central agency.
They already claimed to have no faith in local investigating agencies and had threatened to launch an agitation if the State government will not concede to their demand. The family also warned of going to Court if they failed to get justice from the government. Various political parties already demanded compensation to kin of those killed in police firing during protests that broke out over his death. ``We are completing the formalities before taking any final decision whether the matter should be handed over to the CBI or not", claimed special secretary (Home) Arun Kumar Mishra here on Thursday evening. However, he said that the recommendation from the district was also not send on prescribe performa hence delay was made on taking decision in the matter.
The former SP MlA's wife Vandana Singh, brother Santosh Singh Teepu, other relatives and some of his supporters started their strike in front of collectrate on Thursday morning, claiming that government had failed to act on its assurance to recommend CBI inquiryinto his death. The BSP leader's kin are demanding Rs 25 lakh compensation to families of each of those killed and Rs 10 lakh to those injured in police firing, they said. Seepu's family also demanded that cases lodged against people in the violence that broke out after his death should be withdrawn. They said the hunger strike would continue till their demands were met.
To show their solidarity with the slain leader local traders closed their establishments in in Jiyanpur area and had also blocked busy Azamgarh- Gorakhpur route for several hours. Various political and social organisations have already extended their support to the agitation. BJP national president Rajnath Singh's son and state party general secretary Pankaj Singh also announced to visit the place and support the family in their quest for a CBI probe. It may be mentioned that three motorcycle-borne assailants had fired at Seepu in front of his house on July 19 last, killing him and another person -- Narad Rai -- on the spot, which had triggered clashes between his supporters and police that left three more persons dead and 18 injured.
Seepu's family members had said they do not have any faith in police inquiry and if the government did not recommend CBI inquiry, they would observe hunger strike and, if required, move the High Court. Meanwhile state government has recommended a CBI probe into murder of research scholar Neha Sharma, who was found murdered under mysterious circumstances in Dayalbagh Educational Institute of Agra about four months back. The local police registered a case on March 15 last. "Request for CBI probe made by father of thevictim has been already dispatched to Centre for furtheraction," disclosed special secretary, home, Arun Kumar
Mishra, here on Thursday evening. local police already opened the case and had filed a charge sheet against two persons, Uday Swaroop (21), a BSc student of the institute, and his friend, 35-year-old Yashveer Singh Sandhu, a laboratory technician after arresting them on April 24. The body of 27-year-old Neha was found in laboratory with 12 deep cuts inflected with a paper cutter and a surgical blade.