Key accused in Allahabad blast surrenders in court

ALLAHABAD - A man wanted in connection with last month’s bomb attack targeting Uttar Pradesh minister Nand Gopal Gupta alias Nandi, surrendered in a court here Friday, officials said.

Manoj Pandey surrendered before the court of chief judicial magistrate after which he was sent to 14 days judicial custody.

The state government had announced a cash reward of Rs.1 lakh on Pandey July 29.

The police teams constituted to nab Pandey were caught unawares as he surrendered in court.

Pandey is the brother-in-law of Dileep Mishra, a local Samajwadi Party leader who allegedly masterminded the attack. Mishra is already in jail.

Earlier, police had arrested Purushhotam Dubey and Jitendra Pandey, wanted in connection with the blast.

The bomb blast took place July 12 near the minister’s house in Mutthiganj area of Allahabad, around 200 km from the city.

A man, Rakesh Malviya, 45, died on the spot, while five others, including the minister and a journalist were injured in the blast. The journalist, Vijay Pratap Singh, succumbed to his injuries July 20 while being treated in a hospital in Delhi.

According to officials, Gupta is recovering well at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) here.

The charge of Institutional Finance and Stamps, which was held by Gupta, is presently being looked after by the state Mines and Cooperatives Minister Babu Singh Kushwaha.