Madhumita Shukla murder case: Uttar Pradesh Prisons Administration department issued an order on Thursday (August 24) for the early release of former UP minister Amarmani Tripathi and his wife Madhumani Tripathi, serving life term in Madhumita Shukla murder case.
In this case, citing Uttar Pradesh's 2018 remission policy and a Supreme Court (SC) order which holds that lifers above 60 years of age are eligible for remission of the remaining sentence if they have completed 16 years of imprisonment.
The two are lodged in Gorakhpur jail currently. DG Jail, SN Sabat confirmed that after completion of all formalities, the couple will be released from jail. The prisons department's order also cites their old age- Amarmani is 66 and Madhumani 61- and good behaviour.
SC refuses to stay release of Amarmani Tripathi:
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to stay the release of former Uttar Pradesh minister Amarmani Tripathi and his wife Madhumani, who are serving life term in poet Madhumita Shukla murder case.
A bench of Justices Aniuddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi issued notices to the state government, Tripathi and his wife while seeking their replies within eight weeks on a plea filed by the poet's sister Nidhi Shukla.
The prisons department also cited their age and good behaviour as Amarmani is 66 and Madhumani is 61, the official said citing the order. Amarmani Tripathi and his wife are currently admitted to the BRD Medical College, Gorakhpur.
Poet Madhumita, who was pregnant, was shot dead on May 9, 2003, in Paper Mill Colony, Lucknow. Amarmani Tripathi was arrested in September 2003 in connection with the murder of the poet with whom he was allegedly in a relationship.
A Dehradun court had sentenced Amarmani Tripathi and his wife Madhumani Tripathi to life imprisonment for the murder in October 2007. Later the Nainital High Court and the Supreme Court upheld the sentence of the couple. The case was probed by the CBI.
Letter to President:
Madhumita Shukla's sister Nidhi wrote a letter to President Droupadi Murmu and the governor of UP in this regard. She has already filed a case in the Supreme Court related to the premature release of Amarmani Tripathi and his spouse.
Letter written by Madhumita's sister Nidhi Shukla to President of India and Governor of UP
Know about Madhumita Shukla murder case:
The former state minister and his wife Madhumani were convicted of hatching a conspiracy and killing of postess Madhumita Shukla in 2003. They were sentenced to life imprisonment by Dehradun court in 2007.
The investigation revealed both Tripathi and Shukla had an illicit relationship and the poetess conceived a child with him during the period. The former minister pressured her to abort the child.
On May 9, 2003 a seven-month pregnant 24-year old Madhumita was gunned down in her apartment in Lucknow. This spine-chilling incident that took place in Lucknow's Paper Mill Colony sent shockwaves across Uttar Pradesh and rest of India.
Who is Amarmani Tripathi? | Know more about former UP minister
- A gangster-turned-politician in Uttar Pradesh, he was a minister in the Mayawati-led government in 2002-03. Later, he switched to the Samajwadi Party (SP).
- He was a four-term MLA and contested assembly election in 2007 from jail on SP ticket.
- He started his political career with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and later joined Congress.
- He was also served as a minister in the Kalyan Singh government in 1997, in the Ram Prakash Gupta government in 1999, in the Rajnath Singh government in 2000.
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