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{{Short description|Indian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Krishnanand Rai
|office = [[Member Of Legislative Assembly]] [[Uttar Pradesh]]
|birth_date = 11 December 1956
|birth_place = [[Ghazipur]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[India]]
|death_date = 29 November 2005 (aged 48)
|death_place = [[Ghazipur district|Baswania]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[India]]
|party = [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] <small>(1999–2005)</small>
|profession = [[Scholar]] [[Politician]]
}}
'''Krishnanand Rai''' (11 December 1956 - 29 November 2005) was an Indian politician. He served as a Member of Legislative Assembly from 2002 to 2005 representing [[Mohammadabad, Ghazipur|Mohammadabad]] Assembly located at [[Ghazipur]] district. His first stint at politics was in year 1999 from same assembly seat, which he lost. He was part of [[Bhartiya Janata Party]] until his death.

==Early life and education==
{{more citations needed section|date=February 2021}}
Rai was the youngest of three brothers born to Lalita Rai and Jagannath Rai in the village of [[Gondaur]], [[Ghazipur district]], Uttar Pradesh. With ample farm land around rich and fertile gangetic basin, the primary source of earning and livelihood for the family was agriculture. His mother died when he was a year old and thereafter he was raised by his grandmother. His early schooling was done at the native village. At the age of 13 he moved to [[Varanasi]] to join the Central Hindu School and later attended [[Banaras Hindu University]], where he studied medicine. Series of untoward incidents at college led to him dropping out of school and seeking work instead.

==Career and politics==
Rai began work as a [[General contractor|contractor]] and became a well-known builder in Varanasi. His initial work included government-funded roads and bridges but later he moved towards construction of residential buildings.

Some aspirations and his close proximity to [[Manoj Sinha]] were initial thrust for him to venture into politics. He promoted Hindu sentiments and the fact that he was a [[Bhumihar Brahmin]] by caste, increased his influence. In 2002, he was elected to the [[Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh]] from the [[Mohammadabad, Ghazipur|Mohammadabad]] constituency in Ghazipur. There he was a member of the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]].<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=171&page=34 | title = Krishnanand Rai | publisher = [[Organizer Content]] | date = 18 February 2007 | accessdate = 17 November 2008}}</ref> In 2017, his wife, [[Alka Rai]] won the [[2017 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election|assembly seat]] from [[Mohammadabad, Ghazipur|Mohammadabad]].

==Murder==
[[File:K. N. Rai Memorial.JPG|thumb|A memorial at Baswani commemorating Rai and others who died.]]

Rai was murdered on 29 November 2005, while attending a family wedding in his native village.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2005-11-30/india/27850080_1_railway-station-bjp-workers-power-station | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121021160936/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2005-11-30/india/27850080_1_railway-station-bjp-workers-power-station | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2012-10-21 | title = MLA killing: Railway, power station attacked | newspaper = [[The Times of India]] | date = 2005-11-30 | accessdate = 2008-08-31}}</ref> He had been made aware of a death threat by Special Task Force officers, who warned him of hired killers at the residence of [[Mukhtar Ansari]] and Ramashrey Giri (Junior Engineer) a local politician and former gangster. He was coaxed to start a cricket match in [[Siyari]] and was persuaded not to use his bullet-proof vehicle or guards. He was ambushed on his way back home by assailants who used [[AK-47]] rifles. Seven people died in total.<ref name = "Murder Event">{{cite web
| url = http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/ensure-security-for-mla-murder-witness-cbi-to-cops/
| title = Ensure security for MLA murder witness: CBI to cops
| newspaper = [[The Indian Express]]
| date = 2013-05-11
| accessdate = 2014-07-26
}}</ref>

The killing caused an outrage in the region. Senior BJP leaders such as [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]], [[L. K. Advani]], [[Rajnath Singh]], [[Kalyan Singh]] and [[Manoj Sinha]] demanded a [[Central Bureau of Investigation|CBI]] inquiry but the government initially rejected their calls for fear of being indicted. [[First Information Report]]s were filed against Mukhtar and [[Afzal Ansari]] but Bhajani Ram Meena, the police superintendent appointed to investigate, then left the case. He alleged undue pressure and asked for it to be transferred to the CBCID. After six months, the CBCID also surrendered the case, complaining of pressure and recommending transfer of the case to the local police. Finding no remedy, the wife of Krishnananda Rai filed a writ in [[Allahabad High Court]] demanding a CBI inquiry into the killing of her husband. The writ petition in [[Allahabad High Court]] by Alka Rai provides detail of thirty criminal cases against the ansari brothers.<ref>{{cite news |title=Petition in high court |date=23 May 2006 |work=Indiankanoon.org |url=http://indiankanoon.org/doc/267826/}}</ref> The Court ordered a CBI inquiry in May 2006.<ref name="Murder Event"/>

Ansari was accused of ordering the killing and was placed in [[Agra]] jail in 2010. He remains there as of April 2014 but the trial has yet to take place.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mukhtar Ansari, accused of murdering Ajay Rai's brother, to support Congress in Varanasi |date=29 April 2014 |work=DNA India |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-mukhtar-ansari-accused-of-murdering-ajay-rai-s-brother-to-support-congress-in-varanasi-1983446 |agency=IANS |accessdate=2014-06-26}}</ref> Another person alleged to have been involved in the murder - Afroz, also known as Chunnu Pehlwan - was arrested in June 2014 and placed in judicial custody.<ref>{{cite news |title=CBI arrests sharpshooter in 2005's Krishnanand Rai murder case |date=16 June 2014 |work=Zee News |accessdate=2014-06-26 |agency=PTI |url=http://zeenews.india.com/news/uttar-pradesh/cbi-arrests-sharpshooter-in-2005-s-krishnanand-rai-murder-case_940118.html}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of assassinated Indian politicians]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rai, Krishnanand}}
[[Category:1955 births]]
[[Category:2005 deaths]]
[[Category:Assassinated Indian politicians]]
[[Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Indian murder victims]]
[[Category:People murdered in Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Politicians from Ghazipur]]
[[Category:Uttar Pradesh MLAs 2002–2007]]
[[Category:2000s murders in India]]
[[Category:2005 crimes in India]]
[[Category:2005 murders in Asia]]

Krishnanand Rai - Revision history

imported>GreenC bot at 16:14, 16 April 2021