UP govt backs police, refuses CBI probe in Kavita's case

Lucknow, Dec 27 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh government today refused to hand over the controversial Meerut University lecturer Kavita Rani's murder case to the CBI claiming the UP Police was competent to bring the guilty to books.

''There is no question of handing over the case to the CBI when Meerut Police with assistance from the Special Task Force (STF) is heading towards solving the murder mystery,'' state principal secretary (home) S K Agarwal said here.

Announcing that guilty would not be spared, Mr Agarwal along with UP Director General of Police Bua Singh said all persons whose name had figured in the controversy would be interrogated.

''There is no political pressure to hush up the case as some politicians' names have been dragged in the controversy,'' he claimed.

Yesterday, UP minister of state for food processing Babulal, a Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) member, resigned from the Mulayam Singh Yadav government after his name was linked to the case, while former irrigation minister Dr Merajuddin Ahmed resigned from RLD on Monday.

Samajwadi Party leader and state primary education minister Kiran Pal Singh's name was also linked in the controversy, but he claimed to be innocent.

The DGP informed Kavita's brother Satish would also be interrogated for giving contradictory statement about his telephonic chat with her and details about the property recently acquired. ''As per the call details of three mobile phones used by Kavita, no call was made after October 24, but Satish claims he talked to Kavita on December 7.'' Commenting on the efforts to recover Kavita's body from Madhya Ganga Canal, Mr Singh said the water level at the particular point was being reduced and if the body had been dumped there, it would be recovered soon.

Defending Meerut Police for giving clean chit to the two state ministers in the case, he said it was totally based upon revelations by the main accused Ravindra Pradhan and not on any investigation.

''A probe is underway...all call details of Kavita's cell phones are being procured from the service provider, while two other accused are being brought to Meerut from Delhi,'' the DGP added.

Asked about the alleged porn CD of some political leaders as disclosed by Ravindra, Mr Singh said they are yet to be recovered and police was ascertaining the veracity of the CDs.

Supporting the theory of murder due to dispute over money distribution between Pradhan and Kavita, the DGP said she was murdered on way to see a flat to be purchased by her with the blackmailed money.

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