The DNA of former Uttar Pradesh minister Amarmani Tripathi has reportedly matched that of dead foetus of slain poetess Madhumita Shukla.

The Criminal Investigation Department of Uttar Pradesh had sent the six-month old foetus of the slain poetess on May 26, 2003 to the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics in Hyderabad for finding out its paternity.

The Hyderabad institute submitted its preliminary report to the CBI on Thursday, which reportedly communicated that the foetus matched with the blood sample of Tripathi. Tripathi had originally shown reluctance to submit his blood sample.

The agency, however, was still awaiting it in writing, CBI sources told PTI.

Shukla, 24, was gunned down from close range in her two-room apartment in Lucknow's mid-market Paper Mill Colony on May 9. 

Initially, the Uttar Pradesh Police was handling the murder case. But intense pressure from the opposition and the media forced the then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati to transfer the case to the CID.

But she effectively clipped the wings of the probe agency by asking it to complete the investigation in a month. The opposition raised a ruckus and after pressure from the Centre the case was handed over to the CBI.

The CBI also questioned the wife of Tripathi on Thursday.

CBI sources told PTI that an agency team questioned Madhumani Tripathi at its Gorakhpur camp office, as the CBI began probing the 'jealousy aspect' behind the murder.

The sources said Madhumani was asked about the telephone call allegedly received by her immediately after 24-year-old Madhumita was shot dead by two assailants at her Paper Colony residence in Lucknow on May 9.

The poetess was reportedly close to Tripathi and Madhumani is believed to have been opposed to their relationship.

Calls made from and to Madhumani's phone had also been scrutinised by the CBI after obtaining the records from the BSNL office.

Last week, the CBI had released photographs of two suspected assailants who allegedly shot dead the poetess and announced a reward of Rs 100,000 each leading to their arrest.

The murder created a uproar in Uttar Pradesh leading to the unceremonious exit of Tripathi from the Mayawati Cabinet.

The CBI had earlier conducted raids at various places to nab her killer. Some sketches about the killers were provided by the servant of Madhumita, who had opened the door on the ill-fated day.

Agencies