UP govt refutes reports of underworld plot to kill Varun

Singh said the state government had sought the Election Commission’s permission to transfer Gandhi,the BJP candidate from Pilibhit,to Etah jail to ensure peaceful conduct of elections and to maintain public order in the constituency.

“On the basis of permission given by the EC,Varun was transferred to Etah jail last night,” said Singh,who was flanked by principal secretary home Fateh Bahadur Singh.

According to official sources,Intelligence agencies had informed the state government a week ago about an intercepted telephonic conversation between Pakistan-based Shakeel and his key shooter Rashid indicating a plot to kill 29-year-old Gandhi,the day he came to surrender at a Pilibhit Court.

Rashid was arrested in Karnataka last week after intelligence agencies intercepted the telephonic conversation between Shakeel and his aides between March 15-21,the sources said.

The sources said the gangster had planned to kill Gandhi after his speeches during meetings held on March seven at Dalganj and on March 8 at Barkhera area of Pilibhit district.

NSA was invoked against the BJP nominee for inciting communal tensions by making provocative and inflammatory speeches.

Asked if there was an Intelligence Bureau (IB) input about threat to Gandhi,the Director General of Police said that security was a sensitive issue and it was not appropriate to disclose it publicly.