Murdered poetess' family quizzed

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June 04, 2003 19:40 IST

The Crime Branch of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Uttar Pradesh police, probing the Madhumita Shukla murder case, on Wednesday quizzed members of her family, sources in Lakhimpur-Kheri.

A three member investigating team questioned the poetess' mother Shanti Devi and brother Vijay Shukla at their residence.

Though the investigating officials refused to divulge the details of the interrogation, sources said that Shanti Devi expressed resentment over the slow progress of the investigation.

She told the sleuths that she did not have faith in the crime branch and wanted to know about the progress made so far in the investigation.

She said there was political motivation behind her daughter's murder and was worried that political pressure could derail the investigation.She has already demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the murder.

Madhumita Shukla was shot dead at her posh Paper Mill Colony residence in Lucknow on May 9 by two assailants, one of whom was identified by the domestic help of the poetess.

Madhumita's sister Nidhi created a sensation by alleging that former state minister Amar Mani Tripathi was having an affair with her sister and that she was murdered at the behest of his wife. She later retracted her allegation.

A diary containing details of Madhumita's relationship with Tripathi and railway coupons worth Rs 50,000 were recovered from her residence.

Madhumita's foetus had been sent to Hyderabad for DNA test to establish its paternity.

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