Awadhesh Rai murder: U.P. Cong president appears before fast track court as informant
Congress president and former MLA Ajay Rai appeared before a court in Prayagraj in connection with the 1991 murder case of his brother. The main accused, former MLA Mukhtar Ansari, has already been sentenced to life imprisonment. The court has fixed October 10 for the next hearing due to the absence of a witness.
The state Congress president and former MLA Ajay Rai on Friday appeared before the fast track court of Prayagraj district court in connection with the on-going trial of the 1991 murder case of his brother Awadhesh Rai. Ajay Rai is the informant in this case. However, since one witness of this murder case was absent, the fast tract court has now fixed October 10 for the next hearing of this case.
According to district government counsel (criminal), Gulab Chandra Agrahri, former MLA Mukhtar Ansari is the main accused in the Awadhesh Rai murder case and has already been awarded life term by the sessions court, Varanasi. However, since the high court at one stage had directed that the trial of other accused of this murder case would be held at Prayagraj, the fast track court had issued warrant asking the informant in this case to appear before it, he shared.
Awadhesh Rai was shot dead outside Ajay Rai’s house in Varanasi on August 3, 1991. According to lawyers, the two brothers were standing at the gate of their house around 1 am when some assailants including Mukhtar Ansari, came in a car and shot Awadhesh. In retaliation, Ajay fired from his licensed pistol but the assailants fled leaving the car behind.
Awadhesh was immediately rushed to a hospital in Kabirchaura, however, the doctors declared him dead.
Soon after his brother’s murder, Rai filed an FIR at Chetganj police station in Varanasi in which he had named Mukhtar Ansari, and MLAs Abdul Kalam, Bhim Singh, Kamlesh Singh, and Rakesh Srivastava alias Rakesh Justice as accused.
