Bhopal: A local court in Bhind district in Madhya Pradesh on Friday issued arrest warrant against state minister Lal Singh Arjya in connection with the murder of
Congress MLA Makhan Singh Jatav in 2009. The court ordered that the minister, who held general administration portfolio in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan
ministry, be included as one of accused and arrest warrant issued against him. The court’s directive came in the wake of deposition by an “eye witness”,
Banwarilal Jatav, that he had seen and heard the minister issuing instructions to kill the MLA.
The purported eye witness’ version was corroborated by the deceased legislator’s widow, Shiela Jatav, who told the court that her husband had faced threats from
the minister. The Congress MLA was shot dead on April 13 2009, when he was campaigning for the party candidate Bhagirathi Prasad in the LS polls then.
Later, the minister got a stay on his arrest warrant till June 6 from the court. Congress spokesman Pankaj Chaturvedy demanded dismissal of the minister from the ministry, after the latter was made accused in the murder case.
“Our party will move the governor demanding the minister’s removal from the state ministry,” he said.
