Five suspended for medical officer's death in jail

Lucknow, June 23 (IANS) Five prison officials here were suspended Thursday a day after deputy chief medical officer Y.S. Sachan, arrested for his two seniors' killing, was found dead inside a Lucknow jail, police said.

'The five officials have been suspended for negligence in duty,' said a government spokesperson.

They are jailor J.P. Srivastava, deputy jailor Sunil Kumar Singh, head warden Babu Ram Dubey, and wardens Anil Kumar and Ram Naresh.

Y.S. Sachan, the prime accused in chief medical officer (CMO) family welfare B.P Singh's murder, was found dead in mysterious circumstances inside the Lucknow district jail toilet Wednesday evening.

The state government has ordered a judicial inquiry into the death of Sachan, who was found strapped by a belt to the toilet's grill.

However, Sachan's brother R.K. Sachan demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the case.

'CBI inquiry must be initiated at the earliest. The state government's investigating agencies must not be allowed to pursue the case as we have no faith in them,' R.K. Sachan told reporters here.

'My brother was made a scapegoat in order to protect some white-collared people... He can't commit suicide. The injuries on his body raise several questions... There could be the possibility that my brother died of police excesses,' he added.

Sachan was also linked to the murder of B.P. Singh's predecessor Vinod Arya, who too was similarly shot dead.

Sachan was facing charges of not only masterminding Singh's murder but for also giving money for what was officially termed as 'contract killing'.

Sachan's death is the third in succession over alleged fraud in National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) funds in Uttar Pradesh.

Singh was gunned down while on his morning walk just outside his residence in Lucknow's posh Gomati Nagar locality April 2. His predecessor Vinod Arya was also shot by masked motor-cyclists, just as he stepped out of his home for his morning walk in October 2010.

Award of huge contracts for supply of goods and equipment under the centrally-funded NRHM and large-scale financial bungling were officially stated to be the cause behind both the murders of B.P.Singh and Arya.

However, key opposition leaders were not ready to buy the government's theory that Sachan committed 'suicide' inside the jail toilet.

'This is cold-blooded murder,' said Samajwadi Party state president Akhilesh Yadav. 'And none other than top people in the Mayawati government are responsible for the murder in jail,' he added and demanded a CBI probe into Sachan's death.

State Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi also clearly saw the hand of 'people in the government' in the crime. She said: 'The truth can only be unravelled if the case is handed over to the CBI.'

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kalraj Misra sought a high-level judicial probe into the case.