24 Years Later: Noida Police Chief's Father's Murderers Sentenced to Life
Nearly 24 years after former Lucknow Bar Association president Indradev Singh was shot dead near the Lucknow district court, three accused have been sentenced to life imprisonment. The verdict was delivered on Tuesday by a special CBI court in Lucknow.
Indradev Singh's wife, Nayantara, and daughter, Laxmi Singh—who currently serves as the police commissioner of Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida)—were present when the court pronounced life sentences for Vikram Yadav alias Kalia, Panna Singh, and Brijesh Yadav. The convicts were also fined a total of Rs 1.5 lakh, with 80% of the amount to be paid as compensation to the complainant.
After the sentencing, the mother and daughter left the courtroom in silence, escorted by police personnel. Laxmi Singh supported her mother, who has difficulty walking, holding her hand as they walked to their vehicle.
The case, stemming from a land dispute, had remained unresolved for over two decades. Indradev Singh, a senior advocate, was killed on August 8, 2002, near the Kaiserbagh Telephone Exchange in Lucknow, just 500 metres from the district court. He was ambushed by two assailants on a motorcycle and shot at close range. His wife and son, who were following him on another vehicle, rushed him to a hospital, where he was declared dead.
Laxmi Singh, a 2000-batch IPS officer originally from the West Bengal cadre, was 28 at the time of the murder. She later secured a transfer to Uttar Pradesh after then Chief Minister Mayawati approved her request for a three-year deputation.
The trial saw three other accused—alleged key conspirator Manna Lal Gupta, Ved Prakash Lohia alias Neta, and Chhote Lal alias Chhotu Yadav—die during the proceedings. The three convicts, who were found guilty of murder and criminal conspiracy, have been taken into custody. Their defence counsel stated that they would appeal against the judgment.
The murder had caused widespread protests among the legal community in Lucknow, with roadblocks and demands for justice. The investigation, initially handled by a special team of Lucknow police, was transferred to the CBI later in 2002 amid public pressure. The CBI concluded that the murder was a result of a dispute over a parcel of land on Sitapur Road, where Indradev Singh had entrusted his associate with developing the property, leading to alleged financial irregularities.
The sentencing brings closure to a case that had haunted Singh's family for nearly a quarter of a century.
