BJP MLA murder accused Jeeva operated upon

Ghazipur, Sep 19 (UNI) A prime accused -- lodged in Ghazipur district jail -- in the high-profile murder of sitting Uttar Pradesh BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai was today operated upon for appendicitis.

Sources said Sanjiv Maheshwari alias Jeeva had complained of stomach pain last night.

When his sufferring continued despite medication, he was shifted from jail to the district hospital, where he was operated upon this evening.

Doctors attending on him confirmed that Jeeva was sufferring from appendicitis.

Don-turned-Independent MLA from Mau Mukhtar Ansari, his elder brother and ruling Samajwadi Party MP Afzal and their brother-in-law Ejaz are other prime accused in the case.

All of them are lodged in the Ghazipur district jail.

Rai, an MLA from Mohammadabad assembly constituency in Ghazipur district, and his seven supporters were shot dead in broad daylight here on November 29, 2005.

They were ambushed near the Ballia-Ghazipur border by several motorcycle-borne miscreants armed with sophisticated weapons.

Later, an FIR was lodged against 10 persons including Mukhtar, Afzal and notorious east UP gangster Munna Bajrangi in connection with the killing. Afzal surrendered in the court on December 8.

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