Sikrara massacre: NBW against witness

VARANASI: The court of special judge-III, Gangster Act, on Tuesday issued a non-bailable warrant against Hirawati, the prime witness in the

Sikrara

massacre case in which jailed mafia don-turned-MLC

Brijesh Singh

is the main accused.

The presiding judge,

Rajiv Kamal Pandey

, further ordered SP

Chandauli Santosh Kumar Singh

to produce her on the next date of trial on March 9.

Hirawati, who was given police security on court order in view of life threat, had left home on Monday without informing senior police officials of

Chandauli

with her son Dinesh Yadav and police gunner Tirthraj Yadav to appear before the court on Tuesday. On Tuesday, although

Brijesh

was produced before the court amid tight security, Hirawati did not appear to give evidence in the case.

Taking serious note of the development, the court summoned SP Chandauli, who informed it that Hirawati along with her son and gunner had left her home on Monday and her whereabouts were not known since then.

Police made repeated efforts to contact them but even the mobile phone of the gunner was found switched off, the court was told.

The SP said that the police gunner has been suspended with immediate effect. Moreover, a sub-inspector has been sent to Lucknow to look for Hirawati.

While ordering to issue NBW against Hirawati, the court also asked the SSP Varanasi to assist Chandauli police in this regard.

Seven people were murdered while two women suffered injuries on April 9, 1986 in Sikrara. Main accused in the case, Brijesh, was arrested by the Delhi police from Odisha in 2008 and hearing began in a local court.

On January 11, Hirawati was produced in court by Chandauli police, although Brijesh did not appear on health ground.