UP may tamper with evidence: Cong

Cong says the SP-led govt may try to save Moninder as he is a supporter.

The Congress in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday alleged that evidence in the Nithari killings may be tampered with as the prime accused in the case was "close to" the Samajwadi Party-led regime.

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"The handing over of the case to the CBI will involve certain time-consuming formalities and in the meantime the SP government may try to tamper with the evidence to save prime accused Moninder Singh Pandher, who is its supporter," UPCC president Salman Khursheed told a joint press conference.

CLP leader Pramod Tiwari alleged that in November last year, when Pandher was detained by police for interrogation, "he was released as per direct orders" from an SP leader in Noida.

"Had the policemen been allowed to do their work, the truth may have been unravelled much earlier and it may have saved many lives," he said.

Khursheed attacked Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav's younger brother and PWD Minister Shivpal Yadav for his description of the Nithari killings as "a routine incident".

"Would he have been so callous if the victims were his own children," he asked.

He also flayed the chief minister for the anti-Bush protests following former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's hanging.

"The Centre has criticised the execution of Saddam, who was an old friend of India, in no uncertain terms. If Mulayam is not satisfied, he should come up with a suggestion. He is a chief minister and cannot behave like a rabble-rouser," Khursheed said.