Prayagraj (UP), Jan 1 (IANS): Rajendra Bihari Lal, the vice chancellor of Sam Higginbottom University of Agricultural, Technology and Science (SHUATS), Prayagraj, has been arrested by the Prayagraj police following the registration of a new case against him at Naini police station earlier on Sunday.

Lal was arrested from a guest house located near the university in Naini area, hours after the filing of the fresh case, police said.

The latest 27th case was registered against Lal under relevant sections, including attempt to murder, on the complaint of a local Diwakar Nath Tripathi, police added.

He was taken to the District Court amid tight security and produced in the court of ACJM Palak Ganguly. Later, on the orders of the court, Lal was sent to Naini central jail for 14 days’ Judicial Custody (JC).

He had got relief from the Supreme Court and the Allahabad high court in many of the cases registered against him. Cases have been registered against him under Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in Prayagraj, Lucknow, Fatehpur and Pratapgarh districts.

Charges include mass conversion, fake appointments and financial irregularities worth crores, illegally transferring land worth crores, using names, addresses of dead persons for personal gains and fraud of arms licences etc besides attempt to murder, issuing threats and assault.

DCP (trans-Yamuna) Abhinav Tyagi confirmed the development and said, “RB Lal was arrested in connection with the case registered at Naini police station under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 427 (mischief causing loss or damage to the amount of Rs 50 or upwards) on Sunday.”

“A search is on for two people who were with RB Lal at the time of the attack on Diwakar Nath Tripathi and who had opened fire during the incident,” the cop added.

In his complaint, Tripathi, a resident of Karbala road, claimed that on Sunday morning, he had gone for a walk with his friend Sharvendra Vikram Singh. He alleged that while overtaking a car at 6.40 am near a culvert on Bandh Road, Lal and his two unknown associates stopped the car and threatened as well as abused him.

As per the complaint, Lal incited the two people accompanying him, after which both the accomplices fired with the intention of killing Tripathi but the bullet hit the car. Tripathi alleged that he was attacked on earlier occasions also at the behest of Lal.