Samajwadi Party Spokesperson Manoj Yadav Remanded to Judicial Custody in Serious Criminal Case
In a significant development, Samajwadi Party national spokesperson Manoj Yadav was on Friday remanded to 7-day judicial custody in connection with a grave case involving charges of rape, molestation, and assault. The case was registered at the Safdarganj police station in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, highlighting a series of serious allegations against the political figure.
Court Proceedings and Police Security
Yadav, who had earlier been reported missing from Lucknow's Gomtinagar area, was produced before additional district judge Nitish Rai amid heavy police security at around 10:30 am. The court's decision to remand him to judicial custody for seven days was based on charges that include rape, assault, molestation, and relevant sections of the SC/ST Act, underscoring the severity of the accusations.
Background and Allegations
Originally a resident of Bhagalepurwa village in Barabanki, Yadav currently resides with his wife in Lucknow. According to Safdarganj SHO Amar Chaurasia, an FIR was lodged on February 11 based on a complaint filed by a woman from the Scheduled Caste community. The woman alleged that in 2004, her husband had filed a case against Yadav for trespassing and assault, leading to longstanding enmity.
She further claimed that about three months ago, Yadav stopped her at the Safdarganj crossing, used caste-based slurs, held her hand, and threatened her. The complainant also accused Yadav of targeting her son, who works as a driver in Lucknow, alleging multiple assaults and death threats. In her recorded statement, she additionally accused Yadav of inappropriate physical contact, including molestation, which prompted police to add rape charges to the case.
Missing Person Report and Investigation
In a related development, Yadav's wife approached the Gomti Nagar Extension police station in Lucknow on Thursday night to file a missing person complaint. In her application, she stated that her husband left home in the evening with his cousin to attend a function in Hasemau under BBD police station limits, with plans to attend two other events.
According to the complaint, at around 9:40 pm, Yadav made a video call to her, which she could not answer at the time. When she later attempted to call back, one of his two mobile phones was switched off while the other rang without a response. Enquiries with relatives revealed that he left a wedding ceremony in Ilhanganj under Kakori police station limits at around 9:30 pm in his car, after which his whereabouts became unknown, leading her to file the report.
However, police have not clarified the sequence of events between the missing complaint and his subsequent arrest, stating that further investigation is ongoing to piece together the full timeline and circumstances.
