Dehradun, Oct 24 : A Special Court here today will pronounce its verdict in poetess Madhumita Shukla murder case, in which former Uttar Pradesh Minister Amarmani Tripathi and his wife Madhumani are the main accused.

The 26-year-old Hindi poetess Madhumita had been shot dead at her River Bank Colony residence in Lucknow by two assailants on May 8, 2003.

The case was transferred to the Court of District and Sessions Judge V B Roy from Lucknow on the orders of the Supreme Court earlier this year.

In March, trial was began in Dehradun after apprehensions expressed by Madhumita’s family that Tripathi may impede a free and fair trial in Uttar Pradesh as in the past also he had tried to influence the course of investigations of the case and was getting luxurious treatment in jail.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has investigated the case.

So far almost seventy nine witnesses have appeared in the case.

Madhumita’s sister Nidhi and her servant Desraj were the key witnesses.

The case assumed a political dimension after Nidhi, alleged the poetess was involved in a relationship with Tripathi.

Nidhi had alleged that Tripathi's wife was behind the murder because she was opposed to her husband's relationship with Madhumita. Tripathi, however, strongly denied any role of his wife or his own in the murder.

The district court had framed murder charges against five accused including Tripathi.

The other four accused include Tripathi's wife Madhumani, Rohit Chaturvedi, Prakash Chandra Pandey and Santosh Rai.

The CBI has claimed that Tripathi and his wife Madhumani allegedly conspired to eliminate her as she was carrying the child of Tripathi with whom she had developed an intimate relationship. (ANI)