In his first public reaction to IIT engineer Satyendra Dubey's murder, which was brought to light by The Indian Express newspaper, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Tuesday said the Central Bureau of Investigation had been asked to investigate the case.

"Like all right-thinking Indians, I am shocked and saddened by the murder of Satyendra Dubey, an upright and dedicated officer working with NHAI [National Highway Authority of India] who was killed recently in Gaya, Bihar," he said in a statement.

Those "responsible for his death, wherever they may be, will not be spared", Vajpayee said, while sending his condolences to the bereaved family.

Vajpayee said, "Thanks to the efforts of talented engineers like Dubey, it [the NHAI project] has made remarkable progress already and my government is committed to ensuring that those working on it complete it without any fear."

He said the outpouring sympathy for Dubey from across the world showed that Indians, wherever they were, had a commitment to honesty and transparency and a significant stake in the country's future. "The government shares that commitment and appreciates their concern."

He recalled his recent visit to IIT Kanpur and said, "It was inspiring to see the talent, sense of hope and commitment among the students and the faculty. We can't let criminals or vested interests weaken that spirit."

Dubey was murdered last month, almost a year after he sent a complaint to the Prime Minister's Office about corruption in the NHAI project.

In his letter, Dubey, 31, had requested that his name be kept secret. But his name was leaked as the letter was sent from the PMO to the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways and then to the NHAI, with which Dubey was working as deputy general manager.

The Indian Express virtually launched a campaign to elicit a statement from the PMO, but no explanation was forthcoming.

Finally, on December 5, the Bihar government said it would ask the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe case.

The incident also shocked the IIT community. IIT alumni Narayana N R Murthy, chairman of the board and chief mentor of Infosys Technologies, on Monday issued a statement calling for a probe into the incident.