VC of agri university in Prayagraj arrested on attempt to murder charge

The Vice Chancellor of an agricultural university here was arrested and sent to jail in a case of attempt to murder after two people allegedly opened fire at the vehicle of a former BJP leader, a police official said on Monday.

Rajendra Bihari Lal, the VC of Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences (SHUATS), was arrested on Sunday evening on the complaint of former BJP leader Diwakar Nath Tripathi and remanded in judicial custody.

Tripathi had alleged that early on Sunday, two men who had accompanied Lal in an SUV had opened fire at him after trying to overtake and stop his vehicle when he was returning from his morning walk near Arail dam, SHO of Naini police station Yashpal Singh said on Monday.

Based on the complaint of Tripathi, a case was filed against Lal in Naini police station under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of the peace) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees).

According to the police, 26 cases are registered against Lal in Prayagraj, Lucknow, Hamirpur, Fatehpur and Pratapgarh districts over alleged illegal religious conversion and other charges.

The complainant claimed that Lal and others have a grudge against him as he has filed several cases against them.

Early last month, the Allahabad High Court had refused to quash an FIR registered against the VC and other officials of SHUATS, which is a minority institution. In this case, they were accused of converting a woman by luring her with a job and other facilities.