HC relief for MP minister named in murder case

In a major relief for Madhya Pradesh minister Lal Singh Arya, the high vourt today quashed a lower court's order making him an accused in a murder case.
Justice Sheel Nagu of Gwalior bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court also quashed an arrest warrant issued against Arya, who is minister of state for general administration, aviation and Narmada valley development in the BJP government.
Arya's lawyers, Surendra Singh and Rajesh Shukla, argued before the HC that the lower court had erred as no notice was served to him before he was made an accused.
Opposition Congress had demanded Arya's resignation after his name figured in the murder case.

On May 19, the trial court in Bhind made Arya an accused and issued an arrest warrant against him in the case related to the murder of Congress MLA Makhanlal Jatav.
Jatav's son Ranveer had moved the trial court seeking to make the minister an accused in addition to eight others.

Arya then moved the HC against the lower court's order.
Jatav, the Congress MLA from Gohad, was murdered in Bhind district on April 13, 2009, during the Lok Sabha election campaign. The MLA was gunned down after he had addressed an election rally for a Congress candidate.
Police had claimed the murder was the result of political rivalry.

Eight people were named as accused in the case. Arya's name had then not figured among them.