The family of deputy chief medical officer Y.S. Sachan, who was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Lucknow jail, on Friday said it was contemplating legal action to force the Uttar Pradesh government to order a CBI probe.
"We have been demanding the central agency (CBI inquiry) since beginning as we have no faith in the state investigating agencies probing the case," Sachan's elder brother R.K. Sachan told reporters.
"As the government is not paying heed towards our CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation)inquiry demand, we are planning to move court," he added.
The state government Thursday categorically ruled out the possibility of handing over the case to the investigating agency.
"There is no reason why we should transfer the investigation to any other agency including the CBI," state cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh told reporters Thursday at a press conference.
Rejecting the government's claim that prima facie it appeared that Y.S. Sachan committed suicide, the victim's family said they will perform the cremation only after getting an assurance about a CBI inquiry.
"As of now we have decided not to perform the cremation. It would be done only after we are assured that CBI officials would take over the case," said R.K. Sachan, a retired doctor.
The family has brought a coffin to preserve the body.
Even as the post-mortem report carried several indicators of foul play, the Uttar Pradesh government Thursday stuck to its theory that the jailed deputy chief medical officer committed suicide.
Y.S. Sachan, the prime accused in chief medical officer (CMO) family welfare B.P. Singh's murder, was found dead in mysterious circumstances inside a Lucknow district jail toilet Wednesday evening.
His post-mortem report mentioned "excessive bleeding" as the cause of death and talked about nine wounds on the doctor's body. But the officials still rule out murder.
"According to the post-mortem report, eight of the nine wounds on Sachan's body were caused by a sharp-edged blade, while one was a mark left around his neck," the cabinet secretary had told reporters.
He said: "While two wounds were found on his neck, two each were on the right and left elbows, one on the left thigh and one on his wrist."
The cabinet secretary sought to suggest that Sachan first tried to strangulate himself using his own belt but when that failed, he used a blade to cut his veins at different places following which he bled to death.
"Prima facie, it is a case of suicide, but I would not like to draw any definite conclusion, since a judicial probe is already underway," he said.
Sachan was facing charges of not only masterminding Singh's murder but for also giving money for what was officially termed as "contract killing."
Sachan's death is the third one in succession over alleged bungling in National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) funds in Uttar Pradesh.
Prior to Singh, who was gunned down during the course of his routine morning walk just outside his residence in Lucknow's posh Gomati Nagar locality April 2, his predecessor Vinod Arya was also shot by masked motorcyclists, just as he stepped out of his home for his morning walk in October 2010.
Award of huge contracts for supply of goods and equipment under the centrally-funded NRHM and large-scale financial bungling were officially stated to be the cause behind both the murders.