The Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday, 2 May, named some of their own personnel, including a Station House Officer (SHO), in a case involving the death of a 24-year-old woman in UP's Chandauli district.
The deceased, Nisha Yadav, is the daughter of a man named Kanhaiya Yadav who is an accused in a number of criminal cases, including rioting.
Addressing a press conference, Chandauli Superintendent of Police Ankur Aggarwal indicated that SHO Saiyadraja Police Station, Uday Pratap Singh, constable Sanjay Singh, four unknown female constables, and other unnamed police personnel have been booked under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 452 (house-trespass) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The SHO had earlier been suspended in the matter.
What Had Happened
On Sunday, the police raided premises belonging to Kanhaiya Yadav in Manrajpur village. As per the reports, the police were out to arrest Yadav, who is facing a non-bailable warrant in a riots case.
The police officers allegedly thrashed Yadav's daughter, Nisha, during the bust, following which she was found dead. Yadav's younger daughter was also reportedly beaten and sustained injuries.
Speaking to reporters, District Magistrate of Chandauli, Sanjeev Singh stated, "Nisha was found dead in her house. The deceased was allegedly thrashed by the SHO of Saiyyedraja police station after which she died," news agency ANI reported.
As per the family, Nisha's body was tied to a fan to make the homicide look like a suicide. "This is not suicide. This is being made to look like one,” The Print reported Gunja, Yadav's younger daughter, as saying.
The assault subsequently sparked protests by local villagers, with Samajwadi Party leaders also joining demonstrations.
'Pressurised Into Conducting Last Rites': Kanhaiya
Following Nisha's cremation on Sunday night, Kanhaiaya spoke to reporters accused the police administration of pressuring the family into performing the last rites at the earliest.
"By the time I got home (after Nisha’s death), a crowd had gathered and the administration was pressurising us to take away the body and conduct the funeral," he reportedly stated.
The gangster repeated Gunja's accusations, saying that Nisha was locked into a room and beaten repeatedly, after which the police hanged her from a fan.
'Cause of Death Not Confirmed': What the Autopsy Shows
On Monday, Chandauli SP Aggarwal indicated that the autopsy did not demonstrate the cause of death, however, it showed no external injuries except a scratch on the neck and minor injury near her jaw.
Meanwhile, Kanhaiya claimed, "She has been beaten up with a belt. She had injuries on her back and feet, and there were marks on her body," The Print reported.
(With inputs from ANI and The Print.)
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