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The court order came in response to an application moved by the brother of a private security guard Santosh, who was gunned down on June 10 with his employer Vijay Verma and his son Mithun Verma in their jewellery shop in Jaithra town of Etah district, about 270 km from Lucknow.
In his complaint, the slain security guard's brother Anurodh alleged that the murders were masterminded by minister Awadhpal Singh Yadav. He also claimed that the minister's two brothers Chandra Pratap Singh (a ruling Bahujan Samaj Party legislator) and Amarpal Singh Yadav as well as his s son Ranjit Yadav were part of the murder conspiracy.
The triple murder was carried out in broad daylight by five masked men, who stormed the shop with weapons and shot down the three persons.
Even as the jeweller's family had initially named the minister (a criminal turned politician) as the brain behind the murders, they subsequently withdrew their allegations. Despite threats from the minister and his henchmen , Anurodh refused to budge .
Moving an application before Etah district chief judicial magistrate Santosh Buddhi Sagar Misra, Anurodh sought registration of a first information report for murder and criminal conspiracy against the minister, his two brothers and son. He also charged the local administration and the superintendent of police of turning down his request on account of the minister's undue influence.
On Saturday, the CJM upheld Anurodh's application and directed the local police to immediately register a case under section 302 IPC together with section 120-B.
Significantly, the minister had also been recently indicted by UP Lokayukta Justice NK Mehrotra for his involvement in rampant corruption and financial bungling in various departments and organisations under him.