CBI finds pradhan murder accused missing

LUCKNOW: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team probing the murder of Balipur village pradhan Nanhe Yadav, his brother Suresh Yadav and deputy superintendent of police (DySP) Zia-ul-Haq were thrown into a tizzy on Wednesday when they failed to find Kamta Pal-the prime accused in the Nanhe Yadav murder case-at his house in Balipur. On the other hand, Pal's wife said he was taken away by the CBI and had not returned home since.
The CBI sleuths claim that they had summoned Kamta Pal during the initial stages of investigations that began formally on March 6. Kamta was questioned for hours in four sessions and was then sent home with instructions that he must make himself available before the CBI as and when required. Kamta was also directed not to leave Balipur without the knowledge and subsequent consent of the CBI no matter what.
The CBI, however, was in for a surprise when a team reached Kamta's house on Tuesday evening only to find that none of the family members, including Kamta Pal, his wife or their daughters-in-law or grandchildren. Assuming the family must have gone to meet someone in the village, the CBI team went back empty-handed only to return on Wednesday to discover that Kamta was not at home.
What actually became a cause of concern for the CBI were statements of Kamta's wife Jaggannathi who in turn asked the CBI to explain where her husband was and claimed that he had not returned home after he was taken away by the CBI team itself. Though the CBI believes strongly that Kamta had gone underground and so has his maternal grandson Sanjay Pal, but sleuths are leaving nothing to chance to trace Kamta, sources said.
Villagers and neighbours of Kamta too claimed they had not seen him for quite sometime now. Though most of Kamta's next-door-neighbors refused to talk to the media on the issue, some of them admitted informally that they had not seen Kamta at his residence for quite a few days. Kamta's disappearence is sure to influence the investigations into the March 2 murders in Balipur village of Pratapgarh district, admit sleuths.
After repeated and sustained questioning, the CBI had on Sunday arrested Ajay Pal and Vijay Pal boths sons of Kamta Pal on charges of their involvement in the murder of Balipur pradhan Nanhe Yadav. As per investigations, the two have participated actively in the crime and were assisted by two others including their nephew Sanjay Pal and his unidentified associate. In the FIR lodged by Nanhe Yadav's family in connection with the pradhan's murder, Kamta Pal, his two sons and Sanjay Pal have been named accused among others.
Though Kamta, Ajay and Vijay had made themselves available to the CBI as and when required, Sanjay has been untraceable ever since the triple murder took place. Investigators are confident that Sanjay was accompanied by a close aide of his who is believed to be a hardened criminal and has a host of criminal cases pending against him.