Cong demands judicial probe into gangster's killing inside UP jail

The Congress today demanded an independent judicial probe into the killing of gangster Prem Prakash Singh, alias Munna Bajrangi, inside the high security jail in Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh, and said a mere magisterial probe would not suffice.

Congress leader Pramod Tiwari claimed the law and order situation under the Modi government had turned "worse", and undertrials were now being killed inside high security jails.

"There should be an independent judicial probe as a magisterial probe would not do. This case should not be seen as only a murder case," he said.

"Is there any place under the BJP government that is safe anymore. Neither home, nor the street, now normal life and high security zone. How did the pistol enter the high security cell of a high security jail," he asked.

Tiwari said it was a coincidence that the mafia don and his alleged killer were shifted to the Baghpat jail from Jhansi and Uttarakhand jails respectively only a few days back and he received 10 bullet injuries and died inside the jail, where no weapon is allowed.

Training his guns on the Modi government and the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, he said it reflected the brazen manner in which Bajrangi was murdered inside the Baghpat Jail.

"Law and order has reached its worst level in some BJP-ruled states. It seems, there is no rule of law there. BJP leader Krishnanand Rai is killed and the gangster who is accused of killing him is killed inside a high security jail," he told reporters.

The former Rajya Sabha MP said the murder happened despite the fact that his wife had a few days ago expressed fears at a press conference in Lucknow of threat to her husband.

The Congress leader said responsibility of maintaining law and order is that of the elected government and these growing incidents of violence show that people have lost their faith in the BJP government.

"PM Modi's criminal silence on the growing incidents is deafening," he said.

Mafia don Bajrangi was allegedly shot dead by another gangster inside a jail in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat town today, hours before he was to be produced in a local court in a case of extorting money from a former BSP legislator, police said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath termed the killing of 51-year-old Bajrangi, who was listed as an accused in 40 criminal cases, including those of murder and extortion, "serious" and ordered a probe.

Bajrangi was transferred with full security from Jhansi to Baghpat jail yesterday and was to be produced in a local court today in a case of demanding extortion money from former BSP MLA Lokesh Dixit in 2017, Kumar said.

Bajrangi was allegedly killed by Sunil Rathi, who is also a gangster and had been in Baghpat Jail since July 31 last year, officials said.