Did Shahabuddin play a role?

SPECULATION IS rife about the role of Bihar-based underworld don and MP Shahabuddin in the Sant Gyaneshwar murder case. The naming of Samajwadi Party MLA from Sultanpur Chandra Bhadra Singh, his brother Yash Bhadra Singh and some unidentified persons in the case has not put an end to these speculations.

SPECULATION IS rife about the role of Bihar-based underworld don and MP Shahabuddin in the Sant Gyaneshwar murder case.

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The naming of Samajwadi Party MLA from Sultanpur Chandra Bhadra Singh, his brother Yash Bhadra Singh and some unidentified persons in the case has not put an end to these speculations.

Sources said Gyaneshwar had about a dozen sprawling ashrams across the country and in Nepal. He also had a big ashram in Lalgopalganj, Bihar, spread over nearly ninety acres of land.

Siwan, which Shahabuddin represents in the Lok Sabha, is quite close to the Lalgopalganj ashram.

Sources said the MP wanted to grab the ashram land worth crores. However, there was no official version about this.

Meanwhile, an STF team led by an additional SP from Lucknow arrived in the city to investigate the murder.

Residents of Handia township near which the gruesome killings took place late last evening were so scared that they wanted to avoid giving their reaction over the phone.

The burst of AK-47 gunfire sent shock waves in villages adjoining the area. Besides, AK 47, three other weapons, 9mm, .38 and TMC, were reported to have been used by the half-a-dozen assailants, said some policemen.

Meanwhile, additional director general (Law and Order) A Palanival reached Handia from Lucknow to see the spot and take stock of the situation.

He directed police officials to send a detailed report about the incident immediately.