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Union minister booked for murder

Mahavir Prasad termed as "political conspiracy" the allegation levelled against him in a murder case and parried a query if he was considering resigning.

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A case of murder has been registered against Union minister for small-scale, agro & rural industries Mahabir Prasad in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh (UP). The case relates to the murder of a Dalit on January 28 last year. 

While Prasad told reporters in Delhi this was part of a “political conspiracy”, UP Police denied any foul play.  

UP’s additional DG (law and order) Brij Lal told DNA: “The case has been registered on the orders of the honourable high court.”

Police sources, however, said the case, which was virtually lying defunct for a year, had been pursued vigorously in the recent past apparently due to political interests related to the coming Lok Sabha election. Prasad has been four times MP from Bansgaon (reserved). He is the Dalit face of the Congress in UP, a profile which for obvious reasons is not too palatable to the BSP regime. 

The case relates to the murder of Ram Pragat, 55, of Ujjarpar village under Gagaha Police Station in Gorakhpur. Pragat had a running feud over ownership of a piece of land with Rajesh Singh and Gauri Shanker Gupta. 

The two, who are now co-accused in the murder case, had an altercation with Pragat on January 27. The next day, Pragat was found dead. Gagaha Police allegedly turned his wife Subhavati away when she went to lodge an FIR, but the high court later directed the Gorakhpur CJM to get a murder case registered. The case was finally registered late on Tuesday night. 

Mahabir Prasad has been accused of conspiracy, murder and trying to protect Rajesh and Gauri Shanker. 

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