By IANS,
Lucknow : Former Uttar Pradesh minister Jamuna Nishad was arrested here Tuesday while on his way to meet Chief Minister Mayawati, three days after he led a mob attack that killed a policeman and led to his own ouster from the government.
Nishad was taken into custody after the police intercepted his car at the main city square at Hazratganj area. He was charged with a variety of offences including murder, creating public nuisance and illegal possession of arms.
Nishad was proceeding to attend a meeting of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) at Mayawati’s official residence.
A legislator from Pipraich in Gorakhpur district, Nishad is accused of leading a mob on the Maharajganj police station Saturday night when one of his supporters shot dead constable Krishnanand Rai.
The slain man had come out to see what the commotion was all about when he was hit by a bullet and collapsed. He died in a hospital. Maharajganj is located in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
The next day, Mayawati asked Nishad to resign from the ministry.
“The arrest is the result of police investigations. Twelve people from Maharajganj and adjoining towns have already been arrested,” Director General of Police Vikram Singh told reporters.
Asked about the magisterial inquiry ordered by the chief minister in the incident, Singh said: “We have arrested Nishad on the basis of police inquiry, the magisterial probe is separate.”
Asked about the need for a second probe when the police were investigating the case, Singh read from a statement issued by Mayawati after the minister was asked to resign.
“Jungle law would not be tolerated and a criminal will be punished if found guilty irrespective of his caste, creed, social stature or political party,” the chief minister had said.
He said the former minister’s arrest was the result of this will.
The mob led by Nishad had staged a noisy protest at the police station after the police converted a rape charge into one of molestation. The Dalit girl was a member of the Nishad community, who are mostly fishermen.
The police acted thus after a medical examination failed to confirm rape. But a medical board set up by the chief minister submitted a report Monday night confirming the girl indeed was raped.
Singh said that since the residence of the Maharajganj superintendent of police and the police station had a common entrance, the minister might have gone to meet the officer.
At that time, someone from the mob could have fired at the constable. “More investigations are needed to establish if Nishad was present at the spot when the constable was shot at,” Singh said.
Singh also said that since the medical board had confirmed rape, the investigating officer of the case, Sub Inspector Munni Ram, had been suspended.
He said the police had sought “strict action” against the doctor who ruled that there was no rape.
“Both incidents, the constable’s death and the alleged rape, would be given equal importance.”
Nishad is an influential leader of fishermen in eastern Uttar Pradesh. He contested the Lok Sabha election in 1999 and 2004 from Gorakhpur on Samajwadi Party ticket and lost to the Bharatiya Janata Party. He switched loyalties to the BSP ahead of the 2007 assembly elections.