A 36-year-old grain trader died after allegedly jumping into the Gomti River to evade a police raid on an alleged gambling session in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki district. His family has accused police personnel of failing to rescue him despite his repeated cries for help.
Incident Details
The body of Ghanshyam Sahu, a resident of Sarai Rawat village in the Haidergarh Kotwali area, was recovered by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) on Monday morning, nearly 18 hours after he went missing in the river near Ausaneshwar Ghat under Kothi police station limits.
According to police, the incident took place on Sunday evening when a team led by Sub-Inspector Vishesh Kumar Kuril raided an area near the riverbank in Pehla village following information about alleged gambling activities. Police said several people fled the spot after the raid, while six suspected gamblers were detained. During the commotion, Ghanshyam and another man, identified as Moti, allegedly jumped into the river to avoid arrest.
While Moti managed to swim back to safety, Ghanshyam was reportedly swept away by the current and drowned. An overnight search operation involving police and SDRF teams was launched, and his body was recovered on Monday morning about 200 metres downstream after it became trapped in water hyacinth.
Family Alleges Police Negligence
The incident has sparked allegations of negligence against the police. Ghanshyam's wife, Manorama Devi, claimed that her husband remained alive for some time after entering the river and repeatedly called for help, but police personnel at the scene did not attempt to rescue him. "My husband kept calling for help while he was drowning. The police were present there, but no effort was made to save him," she alleged. "He had not committed such a serious crime that he should have been left to die before their eyes."
His brother, Sonu Sahu, also alleged that the tragedy could have been prevented had the police acted in time. Ghanshyam, who operated a small grain trading business at Datauli crossroads, had left his shop on Sunday afternoon after informing family members that he would return shortly. The family later learnt about the incident from one of the men who had allegedly accompanied him to the riverbank.
Post-Mortem and Government Assistance
After the body was recovered, it was sent for a post-mortem examination at the district headquarters. It was later handed over to the family and cremated under heavy police security. Sub-Divisional Magistrate Rajesh Vishwakarma visited the family and assured them of government assistance, including ₹5 lakh under an accident insurance scheme, educational support for the deceased's children, and consideration for housing and agricultural land benefits.
Former MLA Ram Magan Rawat also visited the bereaved family and offered his condolences. Responding to the allegations, Superintendent of Police Arpit Vijayvargiya said no formal complaint had been received from the family. However, he added that a report had been sought from the Haidergarh Circle Officer regarding the incident.
