Shooter to be sentenced in Syed Modi murder

LUCKNOW:After 21 years of the sensational murder of the national badminton player, SyedModi, the shooter Bhagwati Singh alias Pappu will be awarded a sentence onSaturday. A court of additional session judge has held him guilty of shootingModi while acquitting the other accused Jitendra Singh alias Tinku giving himbenefit of doubt.The other high profile accused Sanjai Singh, AmitaKulkarni Modi and Akhilesh Singh had already been discharged of the murdercharges way back in 1990s. Amar Bahadur Singh the other accused was murderedwhereas Balai Singh died during pendency of the case.The trial judgeShashank Shekhar convicted Bhagwati for opening fire at Modi from a Maruti car.Jitendra was said to have accompanied him but the court did not find sufficientevidence against him. The CBI produced as many as 29 witnesses. The judgment ranup to 45 pages.On July 28, 1988, Modi was shot in the evening whenhe was returning from KD Singh Babu Stadium. Occupants of a white Maruti carwere alleged to have killed him. The state government transferred the probe toCBI, which submitted charge sheet against Sanjai Singh, wife of Modi, Amita,Akhilesh Singh, Bhagwati Singh alias Pappu, Jitendra Singh alias Tinku, AmarBahadur Singh and Balai Singh. Sessions judge dropped the case against Sanjaiand Amita on September 17, 1990 and High Court discharged Akhilesh on August 29,1996.