Kamal Nath seeks CBI probe into death of tribal leader Manmohan Shah Batti

Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath has demanded a probe either by the CBI or a high-level committee into the "suspicious" death of the tribal leader and Akhil Bharatiya Gondwana Party president Manmohan Shah Batti.

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Nath said he had visited the residence of Batti in the latter's hometown Deori in Chhindwara district on August 24, where people of Batti's community described his death as "suspicious and unexpected".

"An inquiry by an independent and credible agency should be conducted to dispel this suspicion expressed by the tribal community. The inquiry should be conducted by a high-level committee or by the CBI," Nath stated.

Batti (57), a former MLA from Amarwada, reportedly died due to a cardiac arrest in a Bhopal-based hospital on August 2.

The ruling BJP has termed Nath's demand politically-motivated.

"If Nath has any proof about Batti's death, he should present it before the MP police. The demand for an inquiry by the CBI or a high-level committee is just politics. The demise of any leader should not be politicised," state BJP spokesman Rajneesh Agrawal told PTI on Saturday.