State government recommended probe into killing of witness in the Surat rape case in which self-proclaimed Godman Asaram Bapu was accused, to the Central Bureau of Investigation. Besides, they also recommended to hand over the investigation into the mysterious killing of jailed former minister Amarmani Tripathi’s daughter-in-law Sara, who was alleged to be killed by her husband in Ferojabad.
According to reports from the Home Department, government recommended the probe into killing of Akhil Gupta, who was shot death in Muzaffarnagar into the hands of CBI, on Friday afternoon. The victim Akhil Gupta(40) was shot dead by two unidentified criminals near Ganga Plaza in Muzaffarnagar when he was going on a two-wheeler, last year. Akhil, a native of Geeta Enclave in the city was the former cook of Asaram and had deposed against the self-proclaimed Godman before the Court. The then Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP)in Muzaffarnagar Harinarain Singh told that two motorcycle-borne criminals pumped bullets from a very close range on Akhil, who died on the spot.
Akhil worked as a cook and personal aide of Asaram, who is in jail in connection with a sexual assault on a minor girl. The Gujarat Police had recorded Akhil’s statement in connection with the case in 2013 before a court in Gandhinagar and he was considered an important witness in the case. Asaram and his son Narayan Sai are facing charges of raping two Surat-based sisters.
Meanwhile in a separate letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav sent on Thursday, the rape victim (In Asaram case) also demanded a CBI probe. Her father claimed that the tutor, who used to teach his daughter in their house, has now refused to come apprehending threat on his life while most of the neighbours have also refused to talk to them. Earlier, the widow of Kripal Singh, another witness in the same case who was killed about a fortnight back, has demanded Rs 50 lakh compensation, an arms licence and assistance for education of her six-year-old son as well as an unborn child. She also demanded a CBI probe into the matter. Kripal Singh, had also recorded his statement in the rape case against Asaram about three months ago. He was an employee of a transport firm, whose owner’s daughter had lodged a case against 74-year-old Asaram for allegedly sexually assaulting her at his ashram near Jodhpur in Rajasthan in 2013. State government had provided security to Arvind Bajpai, principal of Saraswati Shishu Inter College in Shahjahanpur and another crucial witness in a rape case against Asaram. Bajpai had issued Transfer Certificate (TC) to the girl, who had alleged that she was raped by Asaram, on the basis of which she was considered minor. He had appeared in the court during a hearing in December 2014 in the case. Asaram has been in a jail in Jodhpur since September 2013.
Meanwhile state government also recommended CBI probe into death of Sara Singh, wife of Amanmani Tripathi. A communiqué of the Home Department confirmed that a letter in this regard has been dispatched to Centre on Friday afternoon. The family members of Sara also met chief minister Akhilesh Yadva last week and had demanded a CBI probe. It may be mentioned that on July 18, acting on the complaint of the mother of Sara, the daughter-in-law of controversial jailed former minister Amarmani Tripathi, an FIR was lodged against her husband Amanmani Tripathi in Ferozabad. An FIR under sections 498 (enticing or taking away or detaining with criminal intent a married woman), 302 (murder) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) was lodged against Amanmani at Sirsaganj police station.
Sara’s mother, Seema Singh had on July 17 met the Superintendent of Police, Piyush Srivastava, and raised objections over the post-mortem report of her daughter saying that there was no mention of the injury marks on her body nor was it (post-mortem) conducted by a panel of doctors. Sara (27) was killed on July 9 when the car in which she was travelling overturned into a pit in a bid to save a cyclist in Firozabad district. Amanmani, who was driving the car, had miraculously escaped unhurt, raising doubts over the accident. The family, suspecting foul play, had been knocking the doors of the Raj Bhawan, DGP and SSP of lucknow demanding CBI inquiry in the case. Sara’s mother Seema Singh had also called on Governor Ram Naik to press demand for a CBI probe. Amanmani was put in the jail after the accident in connection with a kidnapping case.