Shehla Masood murder: MP govt orders CBI probe

Bhupendra ChaubeyBhupendra Chaubey, CNN-IBN
Updated Aug 18, 2011 at 10:00pm IST


Bhopal: Three days after RTI activist Shehla Masood was shot dead outside her house in Bhopal, the Madhya Pradesh government has recommended a CBI inquiry. The decision came after Union minister Jairam Ramesh wrote to the chief minister, pointing at a possible mining mafia involvement in Masood's murder.

State Home Minister Uma Shankar Gupta said, "The family members had expressed concern and demanded a CBI inquiry to the whole incident. The state chief minister while accepting their demand has decided to write to the CBI to investigate into the murder."

The police had initially hinted the death could be a suicide, leading to allegations of a cover-up.

Masood's family hopes a CBI investigation will reveal the truth

"I'm thankfukl that the case has been referred to the CBI as the local police had started botching it up. Secretly they were trying to divert attention and convert it into a suicide case," said Sultan Masood, Shehla Masood's father.

She had filed several RTI applications to reveal illegal diamond mining activity in Madhya Pradesh.

Masood, who had also exposed several bureaucrats and police officers, had complained about a threat to her life from a senior police officer.

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