Chandauli woman’s death | Akhilesh Yadav demands High Court-monitored probe

Akhilesh Yadav did not believe the initial police theory that the woman hanged herself in the house during the police raid

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav meets the family of a young woman, who allegedly died under suspicious circumstances during a police raid on May 1, in Chandauli, on May 9 2022, | Photo Credit: PTI

Stating that he does not trust the Uttar Pradesh police investigation, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday demanded that a sitting High Court judge-monitored probe be conducted into the death of a woman in Chandauli during a police raid at her house. He also demanded that the police team under question be booked for murder. 

On May 1, a police team reached Manrajpur village under Sayedraja police station jurisdiction in search of Kanhaiya Yadav, an accused under the Gangsters Act, with a non-bailable warrant. The police team was accused of allegedly beating to death his daughter Nisha.

Subsequently, an FIR was registered against the SHO and other police personnel for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, voluntarily causing hurt and house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint.

While the police had initially said prima facie it was a case of suicide, the cause of death remained unknown after the autopsy. The viscera was sent for forensic examination.

Mr. Yadav reached Chandauli and met the aggrieved family. “Police can cook up any story and can twist it the way they like,” said Mr. Yadav.

He demanded that not only the girl’s family be provided security, but the probe should be conducted under the supervision of a sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court.

“We don’t trust the government probe. This government can do anything and can change any report,” he told journalists. Mr. Yadav accused the UP police of indulging in “dabangai” (high-handedness).

“First they lodged cases against their father and expelled him from the district under political pressure,” Mr. Yadav said, referring to the police raid at Kanhaiya Yadav ‘s home.

Mr. Yadav also demanded that the police team accused in the case should be booked for murder. While the family of the woman, who was in her early twenties, had accused the police team of murder, a case was registered against the personnel for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The local Station House Officer was suspended.

Mr. Yadav did not believe the initial police theory that the woman hanged herself in the house during the police raid.

“Will police tell us if the girl had already hanged herself? UP police is ahead in concocting stories,” said the former UP Chief Minister.