Lucknow:
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested seven more people in connection with the murder of senior Uttar Pradesh police officer Zia-Ul-Haque.
Mr Haque, who was Kunda's Deputy Superintendent of Police, was killed on March 2 in Pratapgarh district where he had gone to probe a village headman's murder. An angry mob reportedly cornered him, and eight policemen who were with him allegedly abandoned him. Three bullets were fired - one killed Mr Haque; the other two killed headman Nanhe Yadav's brother.
Sources say the seven people arrested today were part of a mob that allegedly attacked Mr Haque and the cops with him. Four of those arrested are associates of Nanhe Yadav and two are his neighbours. The seventh accused works as a private security guard.
Earlier this month, the CBI had arrested Mr Yadav's son Babloo, who has reportedly confessed to killing Mr Haque.
Mr Haque's wife Parveen Azad has accused former UP minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya in the murder case. The allegations forced him to resign from the Akhilesh Yadav government.
Raja Bhaiya has denied the allegations against him, but the CBI is yet to give him a clean chit. Sources in the police say the "larger conspiracy" behind the triple murders is still being probed.