Slain U.P. man’s family seeks arrest of accused

The businessman was shot last week

The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday came under Opposition criticism after a businessman from Mahoba who was shot last week, days after he had accused an IPS officer of threatening to kill him, succumbed to his injuries at a Kanpur hospital.

The family of the deceased, Indrakant Tripathi, who was into the explosives business, demanded that the accused in the case, including IPS officer Mani Lal Patidar, who was recently suspended from the post of Mahoba Superintendent of Police for corruption and extortion, be arrested on charges of murder.

Indrakant’s brother, Ravikant Tripathi, demanded the immediate arrest of the accused. “They will tamper with evidence and mess with witnesses,” he said.

Mr. Ravikant feared that he could also be murdered.

Last week, Mr. Patidar was booked on charges of allegedly conspiring to murder Indrakant. A case under attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and various charges was lodged against Mr. Patidar, then Station House Officer Devendra Shukla, two local businessmen and unidentified police personnel. It is not yet clear if the charges would be upgraded to murder.

Letter to CM

Indrakant, involved in the explosives trade in the mining district, was found shot in the neck in his car last week. Days earlier, on September 5, in a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and through a social media video, Indrakant had alleged that Mr. Patidar was threatening to kill him after he refused to pay him ₹6 lakh per month as extortion sum.

ADG Prayagraj, Prem Prakash, said no arrests had been made and hinted that such a step would be taken after collection of evidence.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav demanded the arrest of the accused in the case. Calling it a “murder by the state,” Mr. Yadav asked the government to refrain from covering up the case through mere suspensions.

“Why such leniency towards the accused SP,” he asked.