CB-CID Team Visits Joshi’s House; Collects Samples for Test

In UP Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi case, a police team has visited her house in Luknow, which was set ablaze following her remarks against Chief Minister Mayawati, said officials.

On Sunday UP government had announced a CB-CID probe into the case. However, the Congress has been demanding a CBI investigation.

According to police, the team, headed by CB-CID inspector general AL Banerjee, spent around an hour at her house and gathered samples of burnt material for forensic examination.

“Yes, as we have been directed to carry out the investigations, we went to Joshi’s place this afternoon,” IANS quoted Banerjee as saying.

“We will try our best to complete our investigations at the earliest,” he added.

Bannerjee, however, refused to divulge details of the samples collected by the team.

“No time-frame has been fixed for completing the (CB-CID) investigation, which is expected to be completed as soon as possible. After that a report would be sent to the government,” state cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh had told reporters on Sunday.

Singh said that the decision to carry out the CB-CID inquiry was taken by the state government to maintain transparency in the case.

“The CB-CID probe has been ordered so that no one can point fingers at the investigations,” he said.

The Congress, on the other hand, has been insisting on a CBI probe.

“As the CB-CID agency works under the state government, it will act as per the directions of Mayawati, who sponsored the attack on our leader’s residence,” said Akhilesh Pratap Singh, Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson.

“Nothing less than a CBI inquiry will satisfy us,” he added.