The case of the encounter of Mangesh Yadav, an accused in the Sultanpur robbery case, has sparked a controversy. Prominent leaders like SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi have questioned the encounter. Mangesh Yadav's family also claims the encounter was staged. The family alleges that the police took Mangesh from their home late at night on Monday (September 2). They said he would be released after being questioned for a day or two, but he was allegedly killed in a fake encounter on September 5.
What did Mangesh’s sister say?
Princy, Mangesh Yadav's younger sister from Agraura village in the Baksa police station area of Jaunpur, said that her brother was at his school on August 28 to pay her fees. He couldn't pay the fees because he forgot the fee card. However, he was with her from 9 am to 2 pm, making it impossible for him to commit the crime. She questioned how they could live in such a broken-down house if her brother was indeed a robber. They didn’t even own a bike; Mangesh used a neighbor’s bike to drop her off at school.
Princy claimed that the UP STF and police team took Mangesh from their home at around 2 am on the night of September 2. On the morning of September 5, she received a call saying his body was at Sultanpur's post-mortem house.
According to Princy, police officers in plain clothes took Mangesh for questioning at around 2:00 am on Monday. They searched the house, slapped her brother twice, and threatened the family. Then, on Thursday morning, they heard the news of the encounter.
Statement of Mangesh Yadav’s Father
Mangesh's father, Rakesh Yadav, who works as a truck driver in Gujarat, said his son had returned from Gujarat in July after being away for about seven months. He questioned how his son could be a big robber if they lived in such a house. Who would sleep in their own home after a robbery? He couldn't understand how the encounter happened if the police took him safe and sound from their home. He now trusts only a CBI investigation.
Also Read: From Vikas Dubey to Mangesh Yadav... Learn about the 'caste statistics' of criminals killed in encounters in UP
Reports suggest that a reward of 50,000 rupees was announced on Mangesh Yadav on September 2, and on September 4, ten criminals, including Mangesh, had a 1 lakh rupee reward each declared on them. On Thursday morning, the STF team killed Mangesh in an encounter. He had seven cases registered against him, mainly for theft and robbery.
It is worth noting that on Thursday (August 5) morning, Mangesh Yadav was killed in an encounter by the STF in connection with a daylight robbery at a jeweler's shop in Sultanpur. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav questioned the encounter, stating on 'X' that it seemed the robbers were closely connected to those in power, as the 'main accused' was made to surrender before a fake encounter, and only minor injuries were inflicted on others based on their caste.
