CBI yet to send acceptance letter to take up Nithari probe

Lucknow, Jan 9 (UNI) Two days after receiving a request from the Uttar Pradesh government to probe the Nithari serial killings and Kavita Rani murder cases, the CBI is yet to give its acceptance to commence investigations into the sensational episodes.

The state government said it would issue a notification transferring the cases to the CBI within half an hour of receiving the letter of acceptance from the central agency.

''To be on the safer side, we have faxed the letter to the Union Home Secretary as well as the Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training,'' UP Secretary (Home) R M Srivastava said here.

He claimed the Centre as well as the CBI would require ''some time'' to get back to the UP government. To a question, he said the process of receiving the acceptance letter usually took some time.

A total of 19 cases have been registered in the Nithari serial killings case and the list has been sent to the CBI.

Since law and order is a state subject, the UP government will notify the Nithari case being handed over to the CBI, after it receives the acceptance letter.

The letter recommending a CBI probe was written on Saturday itself.

Cornered by the opposition and Raj Bhawan, Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday night agreed to separate CBI probes in the Nithari serial killings and the alleged murder of Meerut University ad hoc lecturer Kavita Rani Chaudhury.

''I have taken the decision to order a CBI probe after Governor T V Rajeshwar wrote to me a letter for it (Nithari case)...the opposition is also playing politics on bodies of victims,'' he said.

UNI