'After Yogi, It Was Narendra Modi Who Asked How I Manage To Run My Family': Ex-DSP Shailendra Breakdowns In TV Interview

Yogi Adityanath government has withdrawn a case filed against former Deputy SP Shailendra Singh. In an interview to a TV channel, Singh broke down remembering his hardships. He said that among politicians, after Yogi Adityanath it was only Narendra Modi who asked him, "Shailendra tum parivar kaise paalte ho (how do I manage to run my family)?".

Singh booked mafia don and BSP MLA Mukhtar Ansari under POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) in 2004 -- when he was the Deputy SP in-charge of the Varanasi unit of UP Special Task Force.

Singh says that he had mentioned then how he had recovered the light machine gun, adding that no officer was ready to go in fear of the fire that would come from the machine gun.

Singh had claimed that Ansari procured a light machine gun for the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai. Singh later resigned from the UP Police Service.

He says in the interview that his team recovered the gun and he was coerced to take back the case and told that if he didn't, he will be put in jail: "hamari team ne jaan par khel ke recover kiya, aur uske baad iss tarah se ho raha hai ki aap case wapas karo nahin to aapko jail mein daal denge..."

He adds that there were several threats, saying, "aise kaise koi kaam kar sakta hai (how can anyone work like this?)". He says that risking life in that manner would be of no use and added that his resignation was to let the public know and make the public witness how politicians chosen by the public work.

He had claimed that he was being pressured by then Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav to withdraw the case against Ansari. In the TV interview, Singh becomes emotional on camera remembering the time and years of his service wasted owing to those events -- 17 years -- he says.

Singh breaks down and tells the news reporter that only he knows how he has struggled through the challenges and situations brought by these events. The TV reporter asks him if there is fear. He says it is not about fear -- on the path chosen by him -- adding that it does pain him when his family suffers.

He says that it was Yogi Adityanath who telephoned his family when he was in jail. He adds that Adityanath had said that he will bring him justice. Singh says that the government must ensure that no one suffers in the manner he and his team have.

A few months after his resignation, an FIR was lodged against him in Varanasi.

"A criminal case was lodged against me in Varanasi and I was put in jail. However, when Yogi Adityanath came to power, he initiated the process to withdraw the case. I have received a copy of the court order and I and my family will remain indebted to the chief minister for this gesture," he said.

He had to resign from his job owing to the case filed against him.