LUCKNOW: Ignoring widespread criticism of the UP government’s handling of the Jagendra Singh murder case, the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Monday stoutly defended state minister Ram Murti Singh Verma , one of the accused in the case. “There are some incidents that happen in the course of nature and destiny ... you can’t fight nature,” Verma’s cabinet colleague Parasnath Yadav told newsmen.

Top Samajawadi Party (SP) leader and senior cabinet minister Shiv Pal Yadav also defended Verma saying no action will be taken against him unless the inquiry found him guilty.

The dying declaration of journalist Jagendra Singh naming Verma, which went viral on social media, has invited criticism from several quarters, but the SP has adamantly decided to back the minister.

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“Police are probing the cases,” said Yadav, adding that it would be over soon. In reply to a question, Yadav said the government would pay compensation to the family of the victim once the inquiry was complete.

The same yardstick will be applied to another UP minister, Kailash Chaurasia who is accused of assaulting an additional road transport officer (ARTO) in Mirzapur. Yadav said that no action would be taken “against anybody” unless found guilty in probe.

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He recalled that in the previous SP government, the SP had removed Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya from the cabinet following accusations of his involvement in a criminal case but the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) later gave him clean chit. “Similarly, action was initiated against Vinod Kumar alias Pandit Singh, but charges against him were found false,” he said.