Mayawati defends cops in Aarushi case

Taking strong exception to the salvos being fired by Union Minister Renuka Chaudhary at the Uttar Pradesh police for botching up the investigations in the sensational Arushi murder case, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Tuesday went out of her way to defend the cops .

Tennager Arushi Talwar was murdered brutally in her Noida flat last month . Her servant Hemraj was also bludgeoned to death on the same night . Arushi's father, Rajesh Talwar, a well known Noida dentist was named as ther key accused in the case that was eventually handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation, after the UP cops came under fire from various quarters for commiting a series of mistakes.

Addressing a press conference in Lucknow,  Mayawati said , "despite the fact that we have already handed over the case to CBI , some opposition leaders have been casting aspersions upon our senior police officials involved in the investigation."

Mayawati said, "In fact , no sooner than I offered to hand over the case to CBI, I also shifted the inspector general of Meerut zone, the range deputy inspector general as well as the Noida SSP ; but that was not because of any mistake on their part ; it was done only to insure that the officials were not accused of influencing the CBI probe."

However ,the chief minister sought to clarify that she would be willing to initiate action against her officials only if they were found prima facie guilty of botching up the case.

"Now if the CBI levels allegations against these police officials , I would have a proper departmental inquiry instituted against them ; but action would be initiated against them only if the CBI charges were proved in our probe against them", she declared.

"I have never spared anyone no matter howsoever high and mighty he might have been ", she sought to point out , while citing the arrest of outlaw turned her own party MP Uma Kant Yadav. "Let me remind you that I sent him behind bars no sooner I discovered that he was indulging in criminal activities", she asserted.

Without naming Union minister Renuka Chaudhary , who has been consistently running a tirade against the UP cops , Mayawati said, "it seems that some opposition parties are only out to malign my government."

As if issuing a warning to them, she went on to add, "I would like to advise them to stop this tirade forthwith."