Identification parade in high-profile Meher case put off

Lucknow, Apr 3 (UNI) The identification parade of the alleged killer of Meher Bhargava was postponed today.

Police sources said the Test Identification Parade (TIP) was postponed as the investigating officer of the case was on leave.

A police officer claimed that Ganga Prasad, the prime witness to the crime and the driver of Meher, could not turn up for the parade.

The identification parade was to take place at the district jail this afternoon to ascertain whether Sunny Rawat was the man who pulled the trigger at Congress leader Luv Bhargava's wife on February 28.

Last week while Rawat confessed before the media of killing Meher, he made a volte-face before a judge before whom he was taken for judicial remand.

Police claimed that Sachin Pahari, at large after being wounded in an encounter with city police here last week, had shot Meher.

But, the Bhargava household maintained it was Rawat, who pulled the trigger on Meher for protesting lewd remarks on his daughter-in-law.

A senior police official maintained that identification of the main accused during the parade would decide the fate of the case as another prime accused Sachin Pahari was absconding.

Finger print experts have also been engaged to find out the real culprit behind the incident.

Inspecter General of Police (Lucknow Zone) O P Tripathi said here the probe was progressing at a normal pace and finger prints of Pahari would be examined to ascertain if he was the real culprit.

Earlier, the driver had claimed that Sunny had pulled the tigger on Meher and the accused also had later conceded of committing the crime. Later, Sunny, retracted his statement by saying he had admitted of committing the crime under duress.

Sunny alongwith Pahari was present when Meher, 50, was shot at by four persons in Lucknow on February 28. She succumbed to her wounds at Apollo Hospital in New Delhi on March 25.

The Special Task Force (STF) is now assisting the district police in the investigation. The police had been attacked from various quarters for sloppy investigation. Two Sub-Inspectors had alreay been suspended on charges of laxity.

UNI NAB VS VJ RS1542