Murder accused arrest "political conspiracy": Jagat Singh

Jaipur, Oct 7 (UNI) Suspended Congress legislator Jagat Singh has alleged that the arrest of a murder accused from his house was part of "a political conspiracy" to defame him.

Mehram Chaudhary, the main accused in the Babulal Gujjar murder case in Nagaur district was arrested yesterday from Mr Singh's MLA quarters in Jyoti Nagar. Gujjar was murdered on February 3 this year.

Mr Singh, son of former External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh, is a legislator from Laxmangarh in Alwar. He was suspended in the wake of being indicted, along with his father, of being a benificiary in the Iraqi oil for food scam by the Jutice R S Pathak committee, set up to inquire into the charges made against them and the Congress party, by a UN panel headed by Mr Paul Volcker.

"Why did the police have to arrest Mehram from my house? His arrest warrant had been issued nine months back and all this while he was living just near Nagaur police line. They could have arrested him then," he said.

"Mehram only came to meet me and I had no idea that he is involved in a criminal case. He alleged that the Congress and the BJP are both targeting Jat leaders in the state," Mr Singh added.

He said he had met the accused only during a Congress rally on Thursday and was not linked to him in any manner. However, he went to meet Mehram at the jail later in the evening.

The arrest of Mehram from Mr Singh's house could make him liable to be charged under Section 212 of IPC for aiding and giving shelter to a criminal accused and get a sentence of two-and-a-half-years imprisonment, if convicted.

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