CBI may not take up Shashi murder case

Lucknow, Dec 7: Despite request letters by the Uttar Pradesh government, the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) may not take up the much-hyped Shashi Prasad abduction-cum-murder case, sources said today.

The sources in the state government hierarchy said the CBI, already burdened with several probes, could refuse to take up the case as it had no inter-state ramifications.

''The CBI usually takes up cases which have inter-state ramifications...it may also take up cases which the Union Department of Personnel and Tranining or the Union Home Ministry or the courts order it to take,'' the sources said.

''But at the same time, the state government is free to keep reminding the central agency to take up the case,'' the sources added.

The CBI has reportedly also not responded to the state government's plea to take up the Raju Pal murder case. The BSP MLA was shot dead in Allahabad a couple of years ago allegedly by henchmen of SP MP Atiq Ahmed's brother Ashraf, who is himself an ex-MLA. During this year's assembly elections, Raju Pal's widow Puja had defeated Ashraf to wrest the seat once represented by her husband.

Officials said following increase in the number of cases being referred to the CBI, the agency was strictly following its charter which explained the type of cases to be accepted or rejected.

The officials also pointed to the tendency of local police against probing sensitive cases. ''Officials often recommend to the state government to transfer such cases to bigger agencies and stop probing...you cannot stop investigations till the time another agency takes over,'' they added.

On November 7, the state government had recommended a CBI probe in the case and sent a formal letter to it. Later on November 15, a reminder was sent to CBI, but the central agency had so far not acknowledged the letter.

Besides, efforts had been intensified to arrest another accused in the case, Seema Azad, and police teams had been dispatched to all her possible hideouts.

Shashi, a IIIrd year law student of Saket Degree College, went missing on October 22 from Faizabad. Changing statements by Vijay, the former chauffeur of ex-UP food processing minister Anand Sen Yadav, had further puzzled the case.

On November 22, investigating officer Sharad Chandra Pandey had submitted an application before the CJM, demanding narco analysis and polygraphy tests on Vijay, who is also said to be the relative of the ex-minister.

During interrogation, Vijay sometimes claimed Shashi committed suicide by jumping into Gomti river in Sultanpur district. At other times, he confessed to have pushed her into the river. On October 31, Vijay had surrendered following charges against him.

On November 6, state minister Anand Sen Yadav had to resign from the Mayawati cabinet, after the victim's father alleged his role in the case.

Interestingly, when the Mayawati cabinet had taken oath of office in May 2007, Anand could not be sworn in as a minister as he was behind bars in a murder case. He took oath at a later date.

His father Mitra Sen Yadav, an MP, was allegedly involved in a case of human trafficking.

Meanwhile the missing girl's parents had staged a two-day dharna outside the Vidhan Bhawan here.

The victim's father, mother and younger sister had said death penalty for the culprit would only satisfy them. Holding a picture of their daughter, they sat on dharna on Wednesday.

UNI