CBI to probe murder of BSP leader

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered a CBI probe into the murder of Bahujan Samaj Party leader Raju Pal in 2005 in Uttar Pradesh.

A bench comprising Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Justice Amitava Roy, while allowing the plea of the Pooja Pal, wife of slain leader, asked the probe agency to conclude the probe in the case preferably within six months.

On February 3, 2006, the top court had issued notice to the then Mulayam Singh Yadav government and CBI in connection with the murder of the BSP legislator who represented Allahabad West constituency in the UP Assembly.

The court had also issued notice to then Samajwadi Party MP Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed, who were arrested by the police on charge of murder.

In her plea, Pooja Pal had sought a probe into the case by an independent agency citing threat to her life as well as to Raju’s mother from the Samajwadi Party.

The court had then directed the Uttar Pradesh police to provide security to the two. The petitioner had alleged that it was a political murder carried out at the behest of the SP and claimed the investigation carried out by the state police had not been fair and impartial.