Blast accused' death: FIR against 42 persons including cops

An FIR was lodged today against 42 persons including a retired top UP police officer and a senior serving cop for alleged conspiracy in connection with the death of serial blasts accused Khalid Mujahid even as the state government recommended a CBI inquiry into the incident.

According to police sources, Mujahid's uncle Zaheer Alam lodged an FIR early this morning against 42 persons including several police officials for criminal conspiracy in connection with the incident at the Kotwali police station here.

They have been booked under sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 302 (murder) of the IPC, they said. The individual roles of those mentioned in the FIR was not clear.
Mujahid, an accused in serial blasts that had rocked Lucknow and Faizabad courts in November 2007, died yesterday after he fell sick and fainted near Barabanki border while being escorted to Lucknow jail after a court hearing.

A government spokesperson today said that the Uttar Pradesh government has recommended a CBI probe into Mujahid's death.

"On the request of Mujahid's family members, the government has recommended CBI probe into the case," he said.

Alam has alleged in his complaint that his nephew was abducted by the Special Task Force from Madiyahon in Jaunpur district on December 16, 2007 and later arrested on the "false claim" that he had been found with explosives near Barabanki railway station.

He also alleged that the abduction and framing of Mujahid in the serial blasts at Lucknow and Faizabad court premises was the result of a conspiracy hatched by several police officials including a former top retired police officer and a senior serving cop.

In the FIR, Alam has stated that after Mujahid was found to be falsely implicated by R D Nimesh Commission, the government had moved an application for withdrawal of cases against Mujahidin in a Barabanki court which was rejected on May 10.

Alam said that the government had decided to challenge the order in a higher court, in which case Mujahid would have been a key witness against the accused policemen in the case.
He alleged that "as a part of the pre-planned conspiracy Mujahid was killed while returning from the hearing in a Faizabad court."