Bhopal: As the Shivraj Singh Chauhan government faces heat over Vyapam scam, the mysterious death of Congress leader Sarla Mishra 18 years ago has led her two brothers on Thursday to demand a CBI probe alleging it was a political murder when Digvijay Singh was the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.
Anand Mishra and Anuraj Mishra began a sit-in at the busy Board Office Square seeking a probe by the central agency into the death of their sister alleging Digvijay Singh's younger brother and former MP Laxman Singh was involved in it and that the then chief minister had hushed up the case.
"It was a political murder and it should be probed by CBI to bring out truth. Laxman Singh was involved in the murder and Digvijay, then Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, had hushed up the case," they said while levelling the allegation against the Singh brothers.
Asked what made them to hit the streets after such a long time, they said it was the right time for them to raise their voice given that the CBI was probing the deaths of people connected to Vyapam scam relating to irregularities in admissions and job recruitments.
"Like CBI probe into the Vyapam deaths, we want the central agency inquiry into our sister's death," they said.
The Mishra brothers refuted suggestions that they were playing into the hands of the ruling BJP which was annoyed with Digvijay for targetting Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in connection with Vyapam scam.
"We have been demanding a probe into our sister's death since 1997," the duo said.
Asked about newspaper reports quoting Digvijay as saying that he had sought a CBI probe into Sarla's death but it was turned down by the then NDA government at the Centre, Anand and Anuraj alleged, "Digvijay was a big liar...He hushed up the probe."
All attempts to contact Digvijay and Laxman for their comments over the issue proved futile.
BJP MLA Vishwas Sarang had also recently written a letter to the CM demanding CBI probe into the mysterious death of Sarla after her brothers approached him.
Sarla was found with severe burns at her residence under mysterious circumstances here on February 19, 1997. She died later.
Madhya Pradesh police had then concluded that she committed suicide.
The state BJP had then alleged that her death was a fallout of her "exploitation" by male politicians.
During the monsoon session of MP Assembly that abruptly ended yesterday, the ruling party MLAs had raised slogans against Digvijay while demanding a CBI probe into the death of Sarla, in a bid to hit back at the Congress members for disrupting the proceedings seeking resignation of Chouhan over the Vypam scam.
Yesterday, Anand called on Chouhan and demanded a CBI probe into his sister's death.
A top bureaucrat said on condition of anonymity that Chouhan, following the representation of Anand, has forwarded his application to the police officials concerned to look into the death of Sarla and get back to him.
Earlier also, the MP government had filed a complaint against Digvijay and former Assembly Speaker Sriniwas Tiwari with Jehangirabad police station in connection with the alleged irregular appointments in the Vidhan Sabha during their tenure in government 10 years back.
The complaint was filed after the Congress General Secretary raised Vyapam scam issue about six months back.
