Lack of coordination between cops helped ex-MP get bail
LUCKNOW: Lack of coordination between police authorities helped former MP Dhananjay Singh seek his release from Fatehpur central jail on bail despite being wanted in the shootout held in Lucknow’s Vibhuti Khand on January 6 earlier this year, said senior police official privy to the development.
The shootout had claimed the life of mafioso-turned-MLA Mukhtar Ansari’s aide Ajit Singh.
A senior police official said the former MP was released from Fatehpur central jail on Wednesday a few hours before the Lucknow police team reached there to serve the warrant in connection with his alleged involvement in the Vibhuti Khand case.
On March 5, the former MP had surrendered before the MP and MLA court of Prayagraj in a separate case registered against him in Jaunpur’s Khuthan police station in 2017 after cancelling
his bail bond in the matter. He surrendered two days after the Lucknow police announced reward of Rs 25,000 on his arrest on March 3 in connection with the Vibhuti Khand case.
A senior police official said the reward declared on his arrest was abolished after he had surrendered after which he again procured bail from the MP and MLA court in the old case and came out of the jail. He said the former MP had procured the bail on March 25 itself but the Prayagraj and Jaunpur police counterparts did not inform the Lucknow police about it. “The former MP is still wanted in the Vibhuti Khand shootout case as the Lucknow police failed to serve him the warrant in the matter. He will be arrested again,” senior police official of Lucknow Commissionerate emphasised.
The former MP is made key accused in the alleged conspiracy behind the shootout and a non-bailable warrant (NBW) was issued against him by a Lucknow court on February 20. The former MP was booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 302 (for murder), 307 (for attempt to murder), 120-B (for criminal conspiracy), 201 (for concealment of evidence) and 212 (for harbouring an offender).