Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met with the family of trader Mohit Pandey on Monday, who died in police custody due to alleged assault, and announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for them, officials reported. The government has also pledged to cover the education expenses of Pandey’s children. Pandey, aged 30, passed away on Saturday after allegedly being beaten by police following his arrest in connection with a case, according to his family.

The incident has sparked significant public outcry, leading authorities to order an FIR against police personnel on charges of murder and criminal conspiracy. The in-charge of the police station involved has been suspended.

In a statement, Chief Minister Adityanath expressed his condolences to the bereaved family and instructed officials to provide the ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh, housing, free education for the children, and access to various government schemes, news agency PTI reported. He assured the family that those responsible for Pandey’s death would face strict consequences, stating that the culprits “will not be spared.”

Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav Slams UP Govt Over Custodial Deaths

The opposition has been vocal in its criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttar Pradesh over recent custodial deaths. On Monday, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav launched a fresh attack, alleging that the BJP has deteriorated the police system, which is setting new records each year for custodial deaths under its administration. According to PTI, he remarked, “I wish those who take life could give life in compensation. Those who have extinguished the light of someone’s house on Diwali, it is hoped that they will not light the lamps of lies… Will a bulldozer be used on the person who died in custody? Condemnable!” 

Yadav further stated that 451 individuals died in police custody in 2021, a figure that rose to 501 in 2022, emphasising that the number of custodial deaths has been on the rise. “The police are killing people instead of protecting them,” he said, adding that police have become exploitative and tyrannical under the current government.

Pandey’s mother, Tapeshwari Devi, along with his wife and children, visited the chief minister’s official residence on Monday morning. After the meeting, the family expressed relief, with Tapeshwari stating, “We are satisfied after meeting the chief minister. He assured us that he was fully aware of the case and that there would be no leniency. Once the investigation is complete, strict action will be taken against those found guilty”, PTI reported.

Bakshi Ka Talab MLA Yogesh Kumar Shukla and councillor Shailendra Verma were also present during the meeting. Additionally, Samajwadi Party MLA Ravidas Mehrotra and Pooja Shukla, the party’s candidate from the Lucknow North region in the last assembly polls, met with Pandey’s family and provided them with a cheque of Rs 1 lakh on behalf of Akhilesh Yadav.

Pandey, a resident of Jainabad in the Chinhat area, died at a hospital while in police custody. His family alleges that police brutality caused his death, igniting a political storm, with the Samajwadi Party, Congress, and Bahujan Samaj Party condemning the BJP government.

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Lucknow ‘Custodial Death’: Congress, CPI-ML Slam ‘Jungle Raj’

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleged that the BJP has established “jungle raj” in the state, where police have become synonymous with brutality. BSP chief Mayawati condemned the incident, insisting that the government must take effective measures to ensure justice for the victim’s family. 

The Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) expressed deep concern over the increasing number of custodial deaths in the state, including in the capital, Lucknow. They demanded a judicial inquiry into Pandey’s death and the immediate arrest of the police station in-charge. State Secretary Sudhakar Yadav claimed that a “police raj” is prevailing in the state, where the police are flouting the law with impunity and failing to respect human rights. He stated, “If strict punishment was given to the police officers guilty of custodial killings as soon as possible, then such incidents would definitely have been curbed.”

According to police, Pandey was taken to a community health centre after becoming unwell at the police station. He was later referred to a larger facility where he died. However, Shobharam, the victim’s brother, alleged that the police had mercilessly thrashed Pandey in front of him, only sending him to the hospital after he had died. A CCTV clip that surfaced online purportedly shows Pandey lying inside the lockup, with family members accusing the police of leaking only a small portion of the footage to absolve themselves, asserting that Pandey was beaten to death. A detailed post-mortem report is pending.

This incident marks the second reported case of alleged police custody death in Lucknow this month, following the death of Dalit youth Aman Gautam on October 11.