BHOPAL: A court in Bhind on Friday asked the prosecution to include Madhya Pradesh’s General Administration Department (GAD) Minister Lal Singh Arya as an accused in the murder case of Congress MLA Makhanlal Jatav. The court has, however, stayed the minister’s arrest till June 3. The Congress has demanded the minister’s resignation even as the BJP-led state government has not commented on the matter.
Congress MLA from Gohad in Bhind district Makhanlal Jatav had been shot dead on April 13, 2009 when he was campaigning for the party Lok Sabha candidate for Bhind seat, Bhagirath Prasad.
Judge Yogesh Kumar Gupta while hearing a petition filed by slain Congress MLA Makhanlal Jatav’s family said that the minister be tried under Section 302.
Another accused in the case, Tej Narayan Shukla had been killed under mysterious circumstances. Shukla had been in jail for about 3 years in connection with the case.
One of the witnesses in the case, Banwarilal Jatav had earlier told the court he had heard Lal Singh Arya ask someone to shoot Makhanlal Jatav.
Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh said that Lal Singh Arya is now an accused in a murder case and the CM should make him resign from the cabinet.
Madhya Pradesh Co-operatives Minister Vishwas Sarang said, “Lal Singh Arya has been given a clean chit by the CBI. There is no question of his resignation.”
The state government has not however officially reacted to the Congress’s call for Arya’s resignation.
