LUCKNOW: The Maya-wati government on Wednesday recommended a CBI inquiry into the mysterious death of deputy CMO YS Sachan in a jail here, a day before the Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court is to give its order on a PIL seeking probe by the central agency.
“The CBI inquiry has been recommended on the directives of chief minister Mayawati, who reviewed the progress of Sachan’s case in a high-level meeting and pulled up the police officers,” an official spokesman said here.
The decision came after judicial probe into Sachan’s death found it to be prima facie a case of murder, contradicting Uttar Pradesh government’s claim that it was a suicide.
Opposing a PIL in the high court seeking a CBI probe into the case, the Mayawati government, which had come under attack after the death of Sachan, had yesterday said it was ready for a probe by a Special Investigation team after the report by Chief Judicial Magistrate Rajesh Upadhyaya was opened before the Lucknow bench.
Arrested on charges of financial irregularities, Sachan, 52, was found dead inside the toilet of Lucknow district jail hospital on the night of June 22. He was also named as the key conspirator in the murder case of CMO BP Singh in April following the arrest of three shooters hired to kill him.
After Sachan’s death, the government and police had initially claimed that he committed suicide. The post mortem, however, revealed nine injury marks on the body including the neck, elbows, wrists and thigh.
Meanwhile, claiming that the Mayawati government acted under pressure of the High Court, Opposition parties meanwhil said the move should have come earlier.
“Mayawati government must have read the writing on the wall. The matter is pending before the High Court, which is likely to give its decision on the CBI probe tomorrow. The move comes under pressure of the court,” Congress state president Rita Bahuguna Joshi said.
She said Opposition parties had been demanding CBI probe since Sachan was murdered inside jail on Jun 22. Similar views were aired by SP spokesman Rajendra Chowdhury. (PTI)