SC hearing on Sep 25 on CBI probe in prof murder

New Delhi, Sept 12: The Supreme Court today fixed September 25 for the hearing of a petition filed by the son of late Ujjain professor H S Sabharwal, seeking a CBI inquiry into the alleged murder of his father by local ABVP activists.

The petitioner, Himanshu Sabharwal's counsel today presented the petition before a bench comprising Justices B N Agarwal, P P Naolekar and Lokeshwar Singh Panta to get an early date of hearing.

The petitioner has alleged that the state administration is leaving no stone unturned in shielding the culprits despite irrefutable evidence against those involved in the murder of his father.

He has also stated that since the accused belong to the student outfit of the ruling BJP party in Madhya Pradesh, a free and fair investigation into the case is a remote possibility.

The petitioner referred to a statement made by the State Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan describing the death of the professor as an accident.

The petitioner has also quoted that the charges of murder were initally not slapped against any of the accused by the state police in whose presence Professor Sabharwal was brutally beaten to death by ABVP activists.

Later, only two ABVP activists, Akela and Tomar were charged with murder but the state police was ignoring material documentary evidence to shield the culprits.

He expressed his total lack of faith in the state police as well as the state administration and has claimed the right to a free and fair investigation so that the killers of his father could be brought to book.

The petitioner has also alleged that two eye witnesses in the case, including a peon of the college, Sengar, were being intimidated with threatening calls.

Professor Sabharwal, who taught in the Madhav College in Ujjain, had suffered a heart attack after being beaten mercilessly by a group of 22-25 hooligans believed to be supporters of the ABVP. His death sparked outrage across the country.

UNI