Date:09/04/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/04/09/stories/2004040902960500.htm

National

HC rejects CBI plea in Madhumita case

LUCKNOW, APRIL 8. The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court today rejected the CBI plea for obtaining police remand of Madhumani, wife of former minister and an accused in the poetess Madhumita Shukla murder case, Amar Mani Tripathi, but permitted the agency to conduct further investigation in the matter. A single judge bench comprising Justice N.K. Mehrotra passed the order after hearing the two petitions filed by the CBI in this regard.

The CBI had challenged the lower court order refusing to grant police remand for Madhumani, who had surrendered on March 25 last.

The court, however, allowed the CBI to further investigate into the matter, even if Madhumani, an accused in the case remained in judicial custody either in jail or in hospital.

The court turned down the plea for police custody on the ground that no useful purpose would be served at this stage.

The court, while granting four weeks time to Madhumani to file counter affidavit and two weeks thereafter for filing rejoinder affidavit, said that the question of allowing police custody or custodial interrogation of Madhumani would be decided after seeing the counter affidavits. The matter would be listed for final hearing after six weeks.

--PTI