Dubey case: 'Suicides hampering CBI probe'

The Central Bureau of Investigation chief has admitted that suicides by two suspects had hampered the ongoing probe into the murder of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) project manager Satyendra Dubey in Bihar's Gaya district.

"Satyendra Dubey's case is a high-priority case for us and the suicides have definitely hampered the investigation," the agency's Director Umashanker Mishra told reporters at Jayaprakash Narayan Airport in Patna on his arrival from Delhi.

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Mishra left for Bodh Gaya soon after his arrival to hold talks with local officials and review the investigation in the aftermath of the twin suicides, which is being blamed on the CBI.

The two suspects in the case, Sheonath Sah and Mukendra Paswan, died under mysterious circumstances in Gaya. Following a complaint by Sah's father that the two were poisoned to death on Sunday by the CBI in the course of the investigation, Gaya police lodged an FIR against CBI officials.

The ruling Rashtriya Janata Dal has accused the Prime Minister's Office and CBI of not being honest in the probe and trying to hush up the case.

"The death of the two in mysterious circumstances is quite tragic and it has forced me to come here to set things right and carry forward the probe," Mishra said.

Following the suicides, the local CBI team had expressed fears about the security of its members.

On the mysterious disappearance of Pradeep Kumar, the rickshaw puller who had taken Dubey from Gaya station to his residence on the fateful night of November 23, after his interrogation by the investigating team, he said the CBI and police interrogate people but do not keep tabs on them once the interrogation is complete.