A ‘SUPARI' of Rs 50 lakh had been given to bump off Kesari Devi, when she was in the BJP, by a local BJP leader who had even reportedly paid Rs 10 lakh in advance and the rest was to be paid after the execution of the plan.
But, call it luck or a co-incidence, the gang, which was to carry out this operation, got lured into kidnapping Dr Kartike Sharma first and then carry out the killing of Kesari Devi. But their murder plan went awry and they had to escape from the district.
These revelations were made, by one of the sharp shooters of a Purvanchal gang lodged in the Naini Central Jail.
It is common knowledge that, Shlok Pandit, the dreaded outlaw, who was gunned down by STF some time ago, was the brain behind Dr Kartike Sharma's kidnapping. But probably no body, not even the police, till date knew what else for was the outlaw's gang in the city when the doctor was kidnapped.
The sharp shooter claimed that even the members of Shlok Pandit's gang did not know till the eleventh hour about the plan.
{{/usCountry}}The sharp shooter claimed that even the members of Shlok Pandit's gang did not know till the eleventh hour about the plan.
{{/usCountry}}He said that a supari of Rs 50 lakh had been given to Shlok Pandit by a local BJP leader to eliminate Kesari Devi, who was then in the BJP.
He said, the gang was holed up in a house in Shankargarh area when suddenly in the night Shlok told his cohorts to be ready as they had to leave for an important job. Even Rajesh Yadav and Sujeet Singh Belwa, who are lodged in the Naini jail and who were important members of this gang, had no idea where they were heading.
He said that Shlok Pandit went inside Preeti hospital around 11.30 am on the fateful night and came out with Dr Kartike Sharma who too had no idea what was in store for him moments later. It was only after Shlok hurriedly got into the vehicle in which some of his gang members were sitting that he disclosed his plan to others and ordered the driver to follow the doctor's car which was later intercepted near his house and the kidnapping was carried out. Inspector Laxman Rai, who was posted in Civil Lines, first paused in disbelief when this correspondent told him about the Purvanchal shooter's statement regarding 'supari' for Kesari Devi.
However, he said nothing was impossible for dreaded criminals when they were lured by the lucre. On her part, former chairperson Zila Panchayat and now a BSP leader Kesari Devi expressed no surprise when she was asked whether she had any idea about the possible attempt on her life before November 2004 when Dr Kartike Sharma was kidnapped. She said, the then SSP Ajai Anand had tipped her to be careful. When contacted, Ajai Anand, currently SSP Jhansi, corroborated Kesari Devi's statement.