9 Months On, BJP Leader's Death Remains A Mystery

Nine months after the unexplained death of Madhya Pradesh BJP leader Mamta Yadav, investigations involving the police of two states have produced no leads.

The body of Mamta Yadav is yet to be handed over to her family in Ashoknagar, some 200 km from Madhya Pradesh's capital Bhopal.

The investigation is mired in bureaucratic inertia between the police departments of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Ms Yadav's body, identified by a tattoo, was found in UP's Prayagraj. The family says they want to cremate her per Hindu rituals but can't.

"We want to perform her last rites with dignity. The police must give us her body," said Raina Bai, the BJP leader's mother.

Mamta Yadav went missing on September 11, 2023. She told her family that she was traveling to Prayagraj to recover Rs 7 lakh from an acquaintance. She last spoke to her brother on September 21. After that, she vanished. Despite repeated requests from the family, the police allegedly delayed filing a missing person's report, and their searches yielded no results for months.

In February, Rajbhan, Mamta's brother, was called by cops to Prayagraj to identify his sister from photographs of unclaimed bodies. The body was found on September 26, 2023, and was buried by the police in Prayagraj.

"Mamta had said her life was in danger," said Rajbhan, recalling their telephonic conversation. "Despite our repeated appeals, the police offered little help."

Mamta's brother disclosed that her sister had pen drives containing sensitive information about several politicians.

"There was immense political pressure," he revealed. "She kept two pen drives in a locker, but never disclosed its contents."

The investigation has been hamstrung by jurisdictional conflicts.

"The body was recovered by Prayagraj police, making it their responsibility to investigate. We have handed over all evidence to them," said Vineet Jain, Superintendent of Police, Ashoknagar.

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has called for a high-level investigation into the death of the BJP leader.

"I've written to the DGP (Director General of Police) demanding the NIA (National Investigation Agency) or STF (Special Task Force) take over this case. It's not a trivial matter; it's about the brutal murder of a BJP Mandal president," he stated, expressing skepticism about a CBI probe.

The BJP, however, has dismissed conspiracy theories surrounding the case.