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Poetess murder: credibility of Govt. at stake

By J.P. Shukla

LUCKNOW MAY 23. The credibility of the Uttar Pradesh Government continues to be questioned over the investigations into the Madhumita Shukla murder case with the media and the Opposition parties accusing the administration of trying to save the dismissed Minister of State, Amar Mani Tripathi, who has been described as a suspect in the case.

While the officials of the police and the Crime Branch of the CID prefer to maintain silence on vital clues that could lead to the arrest of the accused, inexplicable developments have been taking place, creating apprehensions about the motive of the investigating agencies. Opposition leaders say directives for a cover-up had been issued from the highest quarters.

After a hue and cry was raised over the murder of Madhumita earlier this month, the Chief Minister, Mayawati, announced her decision to transfer the case to the CID claiming that this had been done on the demand of her family. The Opposition leaders promptly charged that handing over the case to the CID meant that the Government was interested in only protecting the accused as the CID was verily described as a "morgue of unsolved cases''.

Neither the police nor the CID threw any light on the recovery of personal belongings of Mr. Tripathi from the residence of Madhumita or on medical documents according to which she was identified as "Mrs. A.M. Tripathi''.

A few days after the newspapers came out with stories describing the intimate relationship between Madhumita, who was seven months pregnant at the time of her murder, and Mr. Tripathi and the threats issued by his wife to the now dead poetess, a priest informed that he had performed the marriage of Madhumita with a Kanpur student, Anuj Mishra, at a private ceremony. Insinuations are now being made that Mrs. A.M. could mean Mrs. Anuj Mishra and not Mrs. Amar Mani.

A group of unidentified police personnel have since certified Mr. Anuj Mishra, who is presently in Singapore in connection with his studies, as Madhumita's lover. No one has been able to explain under what authority these policemen were acting to pin down the student when the case had already been handed over to the CID.

To add to the mystery, the police authorities in Lucknow and Kanpur have denied having any role in the activities of the police personnel who had gone behind Mr. Anuj Mishra.

Madhumita's family members have been continuously changing their statements. Her sister, Nidhi, first accused Mr. Tripathi's wife as being responsible for Madhumita's murder.

Later, she changed her statement saying that Mr. Tripathi was a well-wisher of the family. Madhumita's family has also discounted the theory of her marriage with Mr. Anuj.

The police and the CID are yet to send the foetus in Madhumita's womb for a DNA test to find out who was the father.

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