Akhilesh demands court-monitored probe into Siddharthnagar woman's death during police raid

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday demanded a high court-monitored probe into the death of a woman during a clash between local people and a police team in a Siddharthnagar village.

Yadav said he would take the matter up in the Uttar Pradesh assembly as well.

"It is necessary to probe the case under the monitoring of a sitting high court judge so that the police can not hush up the matter. I will take up the matter in the state assembly," Yadav told reporters in Siddharthnagar.

The 50-year-old woman died of injuries suffered in the clash that ensued after the police team reached the Islamnagar village to conduct a raid in connection with alleged cow slaughter.

The SP chief visited the village to meet the family members of the woman.

While the victim's relatives claimed she was shot by cops during the raid, the police said a post-mortem examination found deep wounds on the woman's body but ruled out any gunshot injury.

Yadav, however, said that such incidents are rising in the state.

"In Chandauli, police made up a story that a woman hanged herself. In Lalitpur, there is an allegation of rape against an inspector. The police of the state are infamous for fake encounters. Deaths are reported in police custody."

Inflation was at its peak in the state but businessmen were making profits, the SP leader alleged.

The domestic economy has collapsed and prices of petrol, diesel, LPG, edible oil, power and essential commodities have increased manifold, he said, adding that demonetisation and GST have affected small industries.

The BJP is using its divisive politics and creating hatred among the people to divert their attention from core issues, Yadav claimed.

"The BJP is shying away from the question of rising inflation. BJP-RSS is involved in a conspiracy of dividing the society," he added.