LUCKNOW: The murder of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Rajesh Kumar Yadav outside a hostel of Allahabad University (AU) late Monday night triggered violent protests by the party's supporters in the city. But the incident took a curious turn when the BSP leader's wife blamed the murder on a doctor friend who had accompanied him into the university.
Police said Rajesh Yadav, 46, and a friend Dr Mukul Singh went to Tarachand Hostel of the university at around 2.30 am to meet some boarders. While returning, he had a tiff with a few people outside the hostel.
The situation escalated when the assailants started throwing stones at Yadav's vehicle and then opened fire at him. Yadav returned fire but took a bullet in the abdomen. He was rushed to Dr Singh's nursing home where he succumbed to his injuries.
News of Yadav's murder enraged BSP workers. They took to the streets and set a bus on fire. A police contingent was rushed to the spot near the Indian Press Crossing and they used force against the rioters.
This only enraged the protesters further and they started pelting stones at the police. In the melee, the rioters snatched the camera and mobile phones of media persons covering the incident.
Though the police managed to scatter the protesters, the mob re-grouped after a while and attacked three vehicles near the CMP College Road and tried to torch a bus but were chased away. Another group of BSP workers staged a protest at the hospital where Yadav had been taken for treatment.
While the police were sifting through CCTV footage to identify the culprits, Monika Yadav, the wife of the slain leader, lodged an FIR with the Colonelganj police against Dr Mukul Singh, naming him as the main suspect.
Dr Singh has been booked under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.
According to police, Monika Yadav's FIR also stated that Dr Singh acted in collusion with the mining mafia to murder Yadav.
Dr Mukul Singh is also the business partner of the slain leader.
After the post-mortem examination, the body was sent to Yadav's native village in Bhadohi district. A heavy police force was deployed in the village to avert any untoward incident.