Shahjahanpur Court Sentences Three Men to Life for Poll-Day Murder of SP Polling Agent
A Shahjahanpur court has sentenced three men—Rakesh Singh, Rajeshwar Singh, and Vishesh Yadav—to life imprisonment for the murder of a youth during the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
The victim, Sudhir, was a polling agent for the Samajwadi Party (SP) and was allegedly killed after he confronted individuals attempting to cast bogus votes in the Tilhar constituency.
Government counsel Rajeev Awasthi confirmed the verdict, stating, “All three accused have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Sudhir.”
He noted that nine prosecution witnesses were presented during the trial. The convicts, all residents of Chakora village in Nigohi, were found guilty under sections 302 (murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
Sudhir’s killing occurred on the morning of February 15, 2022, just a day after he reportedly clashed with the trio over suspected fake voting.
According to the police complaint lodged by his father, Sudhir was attacked and fatally injured in what appeared to be a premeditated assault linked to the earlier altercation.
Roshan Lal Verma, the Samajwadi Party candidate from Tilhar at the time, alleged political motives behind the killing. “Sudhir was my polling agent. He was murdered by men affiliated with the BJP,” Verma claimed.
The BJP, however, distanced itself from the convicted individuals. Krishna Chandra Mishra, the party’s Shahjahanpur district president, said, “The accused have no links with the BJP. None of them has ever held any position in the party.
Also, Sudhir himself did not occupy any official role within the Samajwadi Party.”
Following the court’s verdict, Rakesh Singh and Vishesh Yadav, who had been out on bail, were taken into custody. Rajeshwar Singh had been in jail since his initial arrest.
The case underscores the heightened tensions and violence that sometimes accompany electoral processes, especially when accusations of voter fraud and political rivalry intersect.
