UP govt issued notice over transferring of Rai murder case

New Delhi, Dec 4 (UNI) The Supreme Court today issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on a petition seeking transfer the Krishnanand Rai murder case outside the state ''in the interest of justice''.

Krishnanand Rai, the BJP MLA from Gazipur in Uttar Pradesh, was shot dead on November 19, 2005.

Controversial MLA Khud Mukhtar Ansari and his MP brother Afzal Ansari are the main suspects in the case.

A Bench comprising Justices B P Singh and Tarun Chatterjee issued the notice returnable within four weeks on the petition filed by Alka Rai, the wife of the deceased.

Senior counsel Arun Jaitley, appearing for the petitioner, contended before the court that a free and fair trial was not possible in the state as Afzal Ansari is an MP of the ruling party and his brother, who has a criminal background, is a terror and no witness can dare to come forward against them.

UNI AKS SC SK VV1728