UP STF nabs 3 shooters, works out Allahabad lawyer murder case

With the arrest of three Pratapgarh residents, the UP Special Task Force (STF) on Friday claimed to have worked out the sensational murder of lawyer Rajesh Srivastava in Allahabad on May 10.

Police said the lawyer’s murder was fallout of a dispute over illegal construction on a drain by owner of Crown Plaza hotel Pradeep Jaiswal.

Stolen motorcycle used in the crime.

Jaiswal was earlier arrested and is the main conspirator in the crime.

Additional director general (ADG) of police, Anand Kumar and inspector general (IG) of police of STF, Amitabh Yash said three shooters, Shamshad, Mohd Raees and Vishal Vishwakarma, all from Pratapgarh, have been arrested.

ADG Kumar said a portion of the hotel was illegally constructed over a drain and the lawyer was raising objection to it. He said Jaiswal feared major loss if the portion would have to be demolished.

“Jaiswal hatched the murder conspiracy with help of his close friend Ghanshyam Agrahari of Rambagh,” the ADG stated.

He said it was Agrahari, who arranged shooters from Pratapgarh through his close friend Anjani Srivastava, has a criminal background.

He further said Anjani roped in Shamshad, Raees and Vishal to kill the lawyer. The deal was settled for Rs 3 lakh.

He added that the lawyer’s photograph was shared with the shooters by Agrahari on WhatsApp.

The shooters were in touch with Agrahari since April 22 and made two previous attempts to eliminate the lawyer before finally executing the crime on May 10.

Narrating the sequence of incident, ADG Kumar said, “On May 10 morning, Shamshad and two aides reached Allahabad in a hired taxi and arranged a stolen motorcycle there for execution of the crime. Shamshad stayed outside the lawyer’s house and informed the two other shooters when the lawyer left for court”.

Weapons and phones recovered from the shooters.

He said the shooters chased the lawyer on a motorcycle and shot him dead near the busy Manmohan Park crossing under Colonelganj police station area. While Raees was driving, Vishal shot the lawyer in his head from close range. He said the duo thereafter left the stolen motorcycle near Vikas Bhawan and returned to Pratapgarh along with Shamshad after collecting ₹2 lakh from Agrahari and Srivastava.

He said Agrahari and Srivastava are still at large and efforts are on to arrest them.

The incident had led to violent protest by a group of lawyers in Allahabad.

‘ENCROACHMENT WAS REMOVED AFTER MURDER’

Taking action against the illegal construction on the drain, anti-encroachment team of Nagar Nigam demolished the illegal portion three days after the lawyer Rajesh Srivastava was murdered. Besides, the encroachment on the drain, the team also razed some of the front portion of the hotel. Lawyer Rajesh Srivastava’s brother Brajesh informed the encroachment resulted in overflow in the drain and caused water logging in the colony behind the hotel during rainy season. Lawyer Rajesh Srivastava made a complaint to Nagar Nigam officials against the encroachment on the drain and even sent a letter to President, Prime Minister and other senior officials of the state.