Lucknow, May 05: In the past three days, the Uttar Pradesh Police have arrested two relatives of Samajwadi Party ( SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav for their alleged involvement in criminal activities.
Pramod Gupta, Mulay- am’s brother- in- law, was arrested on Tuesday on the charge of setting a UP Roadways’ bus on fire during a protest on April 27. He was produced before the Auraiya district court and sent to jail.
Protesting against Pramod’s arrest, SP workers led by leader of the Opposition in the state assembly Shivpal Singh Yadav staged a demonstration outside the district magistrate’s office in Auraiya.
Three days ago, the police had taken Sachinpati Gupta — Mulayam’s relative from his wife’s side — into custody. He was charged with providing false information in an affidavit to procure an arms licence in 2006, when Mulayam was serving as chief minister of the state.
Interestingly, former minister and Congress leader Vinod Yadav Kakka had demanded the arrest of the culprits involved in torching the bus during ‘ Bharat Bandh’ called by the SP on April 27.
“ Mulayam’s relatives in Auraiya are terrorising people.
So we want the government to put all of them behind the bar,” he said. M. P. Singh, additional superintendent of police of Auraiya confirmed Pramod’s involvement in the incident.
“ An old couple — Harbaksh Singh and his wife Bitna Devi who were inside the bus — suffered burn injuries. We had taken half- a- dozen people into custody. Our investigation proved that Pramod had poured kerosene on the bus and set it ablaze. It was a serious crime for which he was arrested,” the police officer said.
Singh said Sachinpati had procured three firearms. “ In one of the affidavits, he concealed the fact that he was facing several criminal charges. An inquiry was conducted against him and he was found guilty.
He has also been sent to jail,” the officer added.
But SP leader and Mulayam’s brother Shivpal said the cases against his relatives were politically motivated. “ No wonder if they implicate Mulayam and me in a case and then arrest us.
But she ( CM Mayawati) cannot tame us so easily. We have decided to launch a large- scale movement to register our protest against the vindictive attitude of the CM. She must count her days as even the Congress will not be able to save her in 2012 assembly elections,” he said.
—Agencies