LUCKNOW: The tall claims of UP government regarding law and order suffered yet another jolt after a district court lawyer, 45, was shot dead by some motorcycle borne assailants in Katra locality under Colonelganj police station area while he was on way to court in Sangam city of Allahabad on Thursday morning.
Getting the news of lawyer Rajesh Srivastava’s murder, hundreds of lawyers gathered at the spot, registered huge protest against the killing and demanded immediate arrest of the assailants.
The chief minister, however, announced an ex-gratia of Rs 20 lakh to next kin of the deceased and the district police was directed to act promptly and arrest the accused soon. The Cm is believed to have asked the DGP to get the case probed and submit a report to him within next 24 hours.
Police have launched a hunt for the culprits, Allahabad SSP, Akash Kulhary said. While the protesting lawyers blocked the road and the vehicular traffic for around two hours and set a roadways bus afire just a few metres from district police chief’s office, the agitated family of the slain lawyer joined demonstration and declined to hand over the body to police for autopsy.
They were demanding compensation and immediate arrest of the killers. As per the local sources, the lawyer riding a motorbike on way to court was shot in head from a point blank range in full public view and the assailants sped away. He was rushed to the SRN hospital were the doctors declared him dead
upon arrival.
Notably, the murder took place on a day when state Chief Secretary Rajive Kumar and DGP OP Singh were present in the Sangam City to take stock of the preparations of Kumbh-2019.
A case under Sections 302 and 506 of IPC was lodged at the Colonelganj police station against two unidentified assailants and two other persons, including the owner of a hotel, and a Municipal Corporation employee, in the case, said SHO, Colonelganj police station, Satyendra Singh.
While the victim’s brother Brajesh Srivastava told the police that he was present in the locality and was witness to the killing, the SHO claimed that two persons were detained and police teams were dispatched in search of the assailants.
“We are scanning the video footage of the incident captured in a CCTV installed outside an automobile showroom near the spot,” added SHO Satyendra Singh.
According to vicitm’s brother, the lawyer had an enmity with the owner of a hotel. The slain lawyer had informed the officials concerned that how a hotel owner was occupying nullah land. “Since then my brother was receiving life threats,” he added.
Brajesh also named a nagar nigam employee, Kamal, in connection with the killing. “Kamal too had threatened my brother for taking up the issue,” he added. Later, DGP OP Singh, said apart from a special team of the Allahabad police, the Special Task Force (STF) was also roped in to solve the case at the earliest.