In a fallout of the PWD engineer murder case, the Uttar Pradesh [Images] government has decided to remove all Station House Officers posted during the previous Mulayam Singh Yadav [Images] regime after Chief Minister Mayawati [Images] questioned the role of an officer in the episode, citing his alleged proximity to the Samajwadi Party.

"A circular has been issued to all the Inspector Generals and Deputy Inspector Generals-- to prepare a list of Station House Officers posted in the previous Mulayam Singh Yadav regime -- between September 2003 to May 2007," a senior official said on Monday.

The chief minister, at a press conference on Saturday, had described Hoshiyar Singh, SHO of Dibiyapur police station, as "a Samajwadi Party man" and cast doubts over his role in the murder case of a PWD engineer in Auraiya, allegedly by a Bahujan Samajwadi Party legislator.

"After the Auraiya incident, the BSP government feels that these SHOs, posted during the previous SP regime, could do anything to malign the image of the government and the circular was issued to remove such policemen from these posts after identifying them," the official told PTI on condition of anonymity.

Singh was suspended and an inquiry has been initiated against him after the killing of PWD engineer M K Gupta in Aurayia.

"All the SHOs posted in the previous regime and holding the same post till now are on the target list of the government and they will be removed from the post, once the list is finalised," the official said.

Gupta was killed on December 24 allegedly by BSP MLA Shekhar Tiwari and his supporters after he refused to pay a huge sum for the birthday celebrations of Mayawati, a charge denied by the state government.

A seriously injured Gupta was dumped at Dibiapur police station by the MLA and his aides in the wee hours of the same day,  but the SHO allegedly did not take prompt action.