Special CBI court rules following the brutal murder of the Circle Officer in 2013
Team Clarion
LUCKNOW — A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court has sentenced all ten individuals convicted in the murder case of Circle Officer Zia-ul-Haq to life imprisonment. Each convict has also been fined ₹19,500, with half of this amount awarded to Zia-ul-Haq’s widow, Parveen Azad.
The life sentence was announced today by Judge Dheryendra Kumar of the CBI special court. The convicted individuals include Phool Chand Yadav, Poon Yadav, Manjeet Yadav, Ghanshyam Suroj, Ram Lakhan Gautam, Chhote Lal Yadav, Ram Asrey, Pannal Patel, Shiv Ram Pasi, and Jagat Bahadur Patel, also known as Balle Patel. This ruling follows the court’s guilty verdict delivered on October 5.
The tragic events leading to Zia-ul-Haq’s murder unfolded on March 2, 2013, around 7:30 PM, when the village headman of Bali Pur, Nanhe Yadav, was shot dead due to an ongoing land dispute. Supporters of the headman, armed with weapons, retaliated by attacking the home of Kamta Pal, setting it ablaze.
Upon receiving reports of the chaos, Zia-ul-Haq, along with then-Head Gawan SO Manoj Kumar Shukla and Kunda SO Survesh Mishra, rushed to the scene with police personnel. However, the mob soon surrounded the officers. While Zia-ul-Haq attempted to calm the enraged crowd, Suresh Yadav, the younger brother of headman Nanhe Yadav, was shot. Tragically, Zia-ul-Haq was then brutally beaten and killed by the mob. His body was discovered later that night, around 11 PM, behind the headman’s house, where it had been left on a platform.
Two FIRs were registered in connection with the murder. The first was filed by SO Head Gawan Manoj Kumar Shukla, while the second was lodged by Zia-ul-Haq’s wife, Parveen Azad. In her complaint, Parveen named several individuals, including then-Minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh, known as Raja Bhaiya, alongside Akshay Pratap Singh, Hariom Srivastava, Gulshan Yadav, and Nanhe Singh as accused. However, the CBI investigation cleared Raja Bhaiya and his associates of any wrongdoing.
Displeased with the CBI’s clean chit, Parveen Azad appealed to the Supreme Court, which subsequently ordered a reopening of the case. Nevertheless, following further investigation, the CBI reaffirmed their earlier decision and issued another clean chit to Raja Bhaiya and his associates on December 23, 2023.
This case continues to highlight the challenges faced by law enforcement in volatile situations and the tragic consequences of community violence. Parveen Azad expressed her hope for justice, stating, “While today’s verdict brings some closure, I will continue to seek justice for my husband and those responsible for his death.”
