SC stays trial in Krishnanand Rai murder case

New Delhi, Feb 4 (UNI) The Supreme Court today stayed the proceedings pending in Ghazipur sessions court in Uttar Pradesh in former BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai murder case.

A bench headed by Justice A K Mathur also issued notices to the state of Uttar Pradesh on a petition pleading for the stay of the trial in view of the CBI inquiry ordered by the Supreme Court in the murder which took place in 2001.

The controversial MLA Mukhtar Ansari is main suspect in the case.

The petitioner, brother of late MLA, sought the stay of the trial on the grounds that the trial was being conducted in violation of the Supreme Court's order and trial court must await the final report of CBI, which is already investigating the case.

The apex court had ordered a CBI inquiry after it was satisfied that free and fair investigation was not being conducted by the local police under pressure from the then Mulayam Singh Yadav government, which according to the family of the deceased was shielding the culprits and the witnesses were being intimidated.

UNI AKS/SC KK GC2005