Lawyer shot dead in UP for exposing graft

Victim had filed complaints about corruption in banks

Assailants shot dead a whistle-blower in Uttar Pradesh’s Khurja town, about 400 kilometres from here.

Police sources here said victim Subhash Mittal, a lawyer, was sprayed with bullets by three motorcycle-borne assailants while he was sitting in the courtyard of his home on Tuesday night.

“He was talking to his father when three youths came there on a motorbike and shot at him from close range,” said an eyewitness.

Mittal was rushed to a hospital, where the doctors declared him brought dead, sources said.

Mittal had been active in exposing corruption in  public sector banks in Khurja and had lodged several complaints with the authorities in the past, according to reports.

“Mittal had also filed complaints with the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the rampant corruption at several branches of public sector banks in Khurja in sanctioning loans,” said a family member.

Sources confirmed that a Vigilance team had also conducted raids at one of the banks and taken away some documents.

Police also suspect that Mittal may have irked some people while exposing corruption in the banks.

“The motive behind the killing is yet to be known. We are probing from all angles. We are sure to nab the killers,” said a police officer in Khurja.

The lawyer community observed a complete strike on Wednesday in protest against the killing.

The lawyers have demanded immediate arrest of the culprits and threatened to intensify their agitation if police failed to do so.

Earlier also whistle-blowers and RTI activists have been killed in different parts of the state. Cases of such killings have been reported from Mirzapur, Sonebhadra and some other districts in the state.
The activists have demanded adequate security for the whistle-blowers.
DH News Service