"The CBI inquiry has been recommended on the directives of Chief Minister Mayawati, who reviewed the progress of Sachan`s case in a high-level meeting and pulled up the police officers," an official spokesman said here.
The decision came after judicial probe into Sachan`s death found it to be prima facie a case of murder, contradicting Uttar Pradesh government`s claim that it was a suicide.
Opposing a PIL in the High Court seeking a CBI probe into the case, the Mayawati government, which had come under attack after the death of Sachan, had yesterday said it was ready for a probe by a Special Investigation team after the report by Chief Judicial Magistrate Rajesh Upadhyaya was opened before the Lucknow bench.
Arrested on charges of financial irregularities, Sachan, 52, was found dead inside the toilet of Lucknow district jail hospital on the night of June 22. He was also named as the key conspirator in the murder case of CMO B P Singh in April following the arrest of three shooters hired to kill him.
After Sachan`s death, the government and police had initially claimed that he committed suicide. The post mortem, however, revealed nine injury marks on the body including the neck, elbows, wrists and thigh.
During the meeting, Mayawati said as Sachan`s family members did not have faith in the state police, the UP government had suggested a probe by Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the High Court.
"But as the family members were insisting on a CBI inquiry, the Chief Minister directed that investigation should be transferred to the agency," the spokesman said.
Claiming that despite "transparent" investigation into Sachan`s death by the government, efforts were being made at different levels to malign its image, she said the decision to recommend CBI inquiry was taken so that his family members "feel assured and people should know that the BSP government does not compromise in criminal cases".
Mayawati expressed faith in the ability and expertise of the CBI, a day after Additional Advocate General Jaideep Mathur had told the High Court that the UP government was of the view that as the CBI functions under the Centre it cannot be termed as an independent agency.
She expressed the hope that the agency would investigate the case with transparency and there "would be no politicisation".
"On the directive of the chief minister, the case has been send to the CBI immediately for investigation," the spokesman said.
Claiming that the step was a "face saving exercise" taken "under pressure" from the court, opposition parties-- Congress, SP and BJP-- said that it should have been done earlier.
RK Sachan, brother of the Deputy CMO, said that the family did not trust the state government, which, he alleged, had been "shielding" the guilty.
He hoped CBI would crack the case soon and expose the "real faces" behind his brother`s murder.
"Mayawati government must have read the writing on the wall. The matter is pending before the High Court.... The move comes under pressure of the court," Congress state president Rita Bahuguna Joshi said.
SP spokesman Rajendra Chowdhury alleged that the state government was "trying to shield its men involved in the murder" and so had "delayed recommending" a CBI probe.
Terming it as a face-saving exercise, BJP leader Kalraj Mishra said there was no other option before the chief minsiter.