CBI books Amrapali MD, 6 others for murder of ex-secy of educational institute in Bihar

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked Anil Sharma, managing director of Amrapali group of developers, and six others in connection with the murder of a former secretary of a renowned educational institute in Bihar in August 2014, the agency said in a statement

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked Anil Sharma, managing director of Amrapali group of developers, and six others in connection with the murder of a former secretary of a renowned educational institute in Bihar in August 2014, the agency said in a statement.

On August 2, 2014, Dr Sharad Chandra, the then secretary of Balika Vidyapeeth in Bihar’s Lakhisarai, was shot dead while he was reading newspaper at his residence inside the campus. (Picture for representation)

The federal agency took over the murder investigation on the orders of Patna high court.

On August 2, 2014, Dr Sharad Chandra, the then secretary of Balika Vidyapeeth in Lakhisarai, was shot dead while he was reading newspaper at his residence inside the campus.

The matter was initially investigated by the local police, but later handed over to the Bihar Police’s crime investigation department (CID) in October that year.

In 2017, Chandra’s wife Usha Sharma had filed a writ petition in the Patna HC, questioning the conduct of the CID. The single-member bench of justice Rajeev Ranjan Prasad at the HC last month order a CBI probe in the matter.

According to the CBI’s first information report (FIR) filed on Wednesday, “it has been alleged that in August 2009, 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”.

“It is also alleged that the income of Balika Vidyapeeth were usurped by opening a personal account operated by Dr Praveen Kumar Sinha and Dr Shyam Sunder Singh and therefore, Sharad Chandra was making complaint regarding the unlawful manner in which Balika Vidyapeeth was being run. The deceased was also regularly threatened and attacked, his house was damaged and firings were made in past,” CBI FIR states.

While ordering a CBI probe, the HC noted that CID had failed to perform its duty to conduct a free, fair and impartial investigation in this case.

Anil Sharma was granted anticipatory bail in the case in December 2014.

The developer is also accused of defrauding home buyers in Noida and Greater Noida and was sent to jail by the Supreme Court in September 2019. He is currently out on bail on medical grounds.