Minister denies meeting deceased lawyer

Kanpur, Jan 21 (PTI) A day after a lawyer committedsuicide after blaming authorities for failing to get his wifetransferred, Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Anant Kumar Mishratoday denied that his help was ever sought by the deceasedadvocate and blamed opposition parties for trying to defamehim.

"I have never met Vinay Singh or his wife Uma norreceived any application that he allegedly forwarded meregarding the transfer of his wife to Kanpur. Being an electedrepresentative from Farrukhabad, I would have definitelyhelped them had I met them," Mishra said.

Expressing his sympathy with the family, the ministeralso promised to take action against the guilty.

"I have full sympathy with the deceased lawyer and hisfamily as they belonged to my hometown, Kanpur. I will extendall possible help and support, monetary or otherwise to thefamily and will order a strict action against those officialswho have committed the offence," he said.

"Uma has herself said in her statement that she has nevermet me, then why am I being blamed," he asked.

Blaming the opposition parties for tarnishing his image,Mishra said that he was not scared since he was not guilty inany way.

Vinay Kumar Singh, a lawyer from Kanpur had allegedlycommitted suicide on Jan 19 after his wife Uma, a primaryschool teacher in Farrukhabad, was not transferred despite hisrepeated plea to authorities.

In his suicide note, he had also blamed Anant KumarMishra, the state Health Minister, and a BSP MLA fromFarrukhabad, for not paying heed to his request.