CBI books former CMD of Amrapali Group in connection with killing of Balika Vidyapeeth's ex-secy
New Delhi (PTI): The CBI has booked former chairman and managing director of Amrapali Group Anil Sharma in connection with the eight-year-old murder case of Sharad Chand, a former secretary of Bihar-based educational institution Balika Vidyapeeth, officials said.
Sharma was arrested Wednesday on the Patna High Court's orders issued last month.
In accordance with its procedures, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the probe into the FIR registered by the Lakhisarai police station in Bihar.
Sharma, who is facing a number of bank-fraud cases, has been booked on murder charges, along with Lakhisarai-based Praveen Sinha, Shyam Sundar Prasad, Rajendra Singhania, Shambhu Sharan Singh and Anita Singh, the then principal of Balika Vidyapeeth.
It has been alleged that Chand, the then secretary of Balika Vidyapeeth in Lakhisarai, who lived in the educational institution, was shot dead while he was reading a newspaper sitting in the verandah of his residence at about 6.30 am on August 2, 2014 by the accused named in the FIR, in pursuance of a criminal conspiracy hatched for usurping land and assets of the institution.
"It has also been alleged that in August 2009, one Anil Sharma, MD of Amrapali Group, had usurped the trust of Balika Vidyapeeth with the help of Rajendra Prasad Singhania, Dr Praveen Kumar Sinha, Shyam Sunder Prasad and Shambhu Sharan Singh, and the deceased was removed forcibly and since then, a dispute was going on between both the parties," the FIR says.
The income of Balika Vidyapeeth was also being usurped by opening a personal account that was operated by Sinha and Singh, and Chand had made complaints regarding irregularities in the functioning of the institution, the FIR alleges.
"The deceased was also regularly threatened and attacked, his house was damaged and firings were made in the past," it says.
Chand's wife had approached the high court, alleging that the investigation was not being handled properly by the state police.
The CID of the Bihar Police had told the court that not much progress was made in the case.
"In the foundation of the facts available in the writ application, complaining about the conduct of the CID in not investigating the case for all these years, this court has found that in the counter-affidavit of the CID, there is no whisper and/or an attempt to explain the reasons for the huge and inordinate delay in conduct of investigation in a murder case," Justice Rajeev Ranjan Prasad had said.
In a terse remark made while handing over the probe to the federal agency, the judge had said the investigation of the case was "virtually dumped" and the case diary kept "gathering dust" in the CID office as the investigating officer did not touch it for years.
"The stand of the CID at this stage is that there are ample materials against the private respondents to proceed against them. This court would have no hesitation in coming to a conclusion that the CID has failed to perform its statutory duty to conduct a free, fair and impartial investigation in this case," the judge had said.
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Several Gurugram schools receive hoax bomb threats
Gurugram (PTI): Several Gurugram schools received another hoax bomb threat emails on Wednesday morning, prompting police to launch searches on the premises.
Police said the email was sent by the 'Khalistan National Army', with threats issued to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to declare April 29 as the "40th Khalistan Declaration Day". It also threatened to bomb the Red Fort in Delhi.
Police said it was a hoax as no suspicious items were found after an intensive search.
Several schools, including Shri Ram, Amity, and the HDFC school, received threatening emails at 8.33 am, when classes had already begun, police said.
The school administrations became aware of the threats around 9 am and immediately informed the police, a senior police officer said.
The schools immediately implemented emergency protocols, with many declaring a holiday and asking parents to take their children home safely, the officer said.
A large number of anxious parents gathered outside the schools, as police and bomb squad teams reached the spots and started checks.
"Around 10 schools have approached the police from morning until now over bomb threats. Police teams are alert, and searches are underway on all the premises", the officer said.
As soon as the information about this email was received, police in Gurugram and Delhi swung into action and started investigation.
Schools immediately implemented emergency protocols upon receiving the mail. Many schools declared a holiday and sent messages to parents, asking them to take their children home. Large crowds of parents gathered outside the schools.
The schools were sanitised by sending a bomb disposal squad as well as a dog squad.
A senior police officer said that police teams thoroughly searched the school premises, classrooms, buildings, and surrounding areas. No suspicious objects or explosive materials were found during the investigation.
"Police teams are seriously investigating the entire matter. Cyber experts are being consulted to determine the authenticity of the email, its source, and the identity of the sender", added the officer.
This is the third time since January that schools have received fake bomb threats.
In March, at least a dozen schools in the city received bomb threat emails, which later turned out to be hoaxes.
Similarly, on January 28, as many as 13 schools received hoax bomb threats via email, forcing authorities to evacuate campuses and suspend classes.
Last month, police arrested a Bangladeshi national whose email ID was allegedly used to make a bomb threat for some payment.
