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Uttar Pradesh MLA Aman Mani Tripathi to face trial for wife’s murder
His mother-in-law, Seema Singh, had lodged the case after Sara was killed in a car accident under mysterious circumstances on July 9, 2015, in Firozabad. Her family suspected foul play as Tripathi escaped unhurt.
A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Ghaziabad on Tuesday ordered the framing of charges for murder, destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy against MLA Aman Mani Tripathi, in connection with the alleged murder of his wife Sara Singh.
The accused was elected MLA from Nautanwa constituency and is the son of former UP minister Amar Mani Tripathi, who along with his wife is facing life imprisonment for the murder of poet Madhumita Shukla.
During the hearing on Tuesday, a special judge ordered that charges, including that of domestic violence, be filed against Tripathi.
“Tripathi will now face trial in the alleged murder case. The trial proceedings will begin on May 19,” said Naveen Tyagi, Tripathi’s counsel.
His mother-in-law, Seema Singh, had lodged the case after Sara was killed in a car accident under mysterious circumstances on July 9, 2015, in Firozabad. Her family suspected foul play as Tripathi escaped unhurt.
Tripathi and Sara met each other through a common friend and their courtship continued till July 27, 2013, when they got married at an Arya Samaj temple in Aliganj, Lucknow.
This was without the knowledge, consent and presence of their family members. After her marriage, Sara stayed with her mother except on four-five occasions when she intermittently visited Tripathi’s Laurance Terrace home. It is alleged that Tripathi and his family did not agree to socially accept the marriage.
The differences started cropping up months after marriage and Sara also complained to the Women’s Helpline number in June 2014 about her husband.
The CBI investigation revealed that in order to get rid of Sara, Tripathi planned a visit from Lucknow to Leh on July 9, 2015, and opted to use a Swift Dzire despite his family possessing seven high-end luxury cars. As for the allegations of Sara’s murder in the car accident, the CBI also conducted a reconstruction of the crime with the help of experts.
The chargesheet says that the car was not driven at a speed of 120km-140km per hour as claimed by Tripathi, but the speed could have been 50km-70km per hour.
An eyewitness, Neelam Baghel, had told investigators that she stood at the corner of the road with her bicycle and not in the middle of the road as claimed by Tripathi. She also established that the car involved in the accident did not roll over.
According to the chargesheet, the CBI investigation concluded that Sara Singh was murdered by Tripathi and others in a “premeditated conspiracy, which was projected as an accident with mala fide intention”.
The CBI also maintains in their chargesheet that Sara was already dead and it was her body, and not an injured Sara, which was taken from the alleged incident site to the district hospital in Firozabad. The CBI is still continuing the investigation.
Tripathi’s lawyer maintains that the CBI has just build up a case against Tripathi, based on scientific tests.
“I still say that I am innocent and respect the court. I have full faith in the judicial process and I believe that I will come out clean,” Tripathi said.
His parents, former UP minister Amar Mani Tripathi and Madhumani were convicted of the murder of poet Madhumita Shukla and are serving a life sentence.
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