Another UP minister quizzed by CBI in Kavita Rani murder case

New Delhi, Feb 22 (UNI) A former Uttar Pradesh Minister was today questioned in connection with the disappearance and alleged murder of a Meerut University lecturer, which raised a political furore leading to resignation of three ministers of the Mulayam Singh government last year.

Kiran Pal, Minister for Basic Education, who resigned after his name cropped up in the scandal was questioned for nearly five hours at the CBI headquarters here, according to official sources.

''He was summoned in the pre-noon session and left in the evening after questioning by the officials of the CBI's Special Crime Branch.'' Pal is the second minister summoned by the CBI for interrogation into the murder of Kavita Rani.

Meanwhile, even the central agency was finalising plans to conduct narco-analysis tests on prime accused in the case Ravindra Pradhan, he moved a 'review petition' in the district court today.

Earlier, on February 13 and 14, polygraph tests were conducted on former Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Minister (MoS) Merajuddin Ahmed by the CBI at its headquarters here, in connection with the alleged murder of Kavita Rani.

Merajuddin, who belongs to the Rashtriya Lok Dal and had resigned after his name popped up in the scandal, was questioned for more than four hours on his alleged role in the case.

Another minister -- Babu Lal, Minister for Food Processing -- also had to resign after the case threw up his name.

Meanwhile, sources said politicians and others whose names have cropped up in the case, including Meerut University Vice-Chancellor R P Singh, would also be called to depose before the investigation team.

The disappearance of the 29-year-old temporary lecturer at the 'Chaudhary Charan Singh University - Meerut', Kavita Rani, who was murdered in October, came to light following the arrest of prime accused Ravindra Pradhan.

Pradhan, who was arrested from a television studio in Noida in December last, had told the police that it was a case of sleaze and blackmail and a fight over sharing of money and involved a former minister.

Admitting that he, along with his accomplice, had strangled Kavita Rani following an altercation, Pradhan said they disposed of the body in a canal in Sanauta in Bulandshahr (UP).

On December 28 last, Harinder, another accused in the case, had surrendered before the police in Bulandshahr while pleading innocence over his involvement in the abduction and murder of the lecturer.

However, he said he knew prime suspect Ravindra Pradhan for the past seven years.

On December 27, Triloki Singh, 37-year-old associate of prime accused Ravindra Pradhan and headman of Dhanera Kirat village in was arrested in Delhi.

His name figured in several threat letters received by Kavita Rani.

UNI