Mahavir Prasad booked on conspiracy charges in murder case

In a major embarrassment to the Government at the Centre, union minister Mahavir Prasad has been booked for alleged conspiracy in a murder case, a senior police officer said on Wednesday.

The case was registered on the directions of the Allahabad High Court under section 120 B IPC (conspiracy) against the union minister for Micro, Small and Medium Industries in Gagha Police station here on Tuesday night, Senior Superintendent of Police Aditya Mishra said.

Two other accused, village head of Ujjarpar, Rajesh Singh and one Gauri Shankar have been booked under sections 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence or giving false information), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of public peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and the SC/ST Act.

According to police, one Subhavati of village Ujjarpar, the native village of the minister, had move a local court for lodging cases against the accused.

She had alleged that the village head and Gauri Shankar were involved in the murder of her husband on January 28 and charged the minister with helping the accused.

She moved the High Court after the local CJM's court rejected her plea.

Police said the case was registered on the direction of the High Court.

Earlier, the police had registered the case as a road accident. No arrest has so far been made in this connection, the SSP said.