Noida police chief’s father was killed in Lucknow. Verdict comes 24 years later

Nearly 24 years after former Lucknow Bar Association president Indradev Singh was shot dead near the Lucknow district court, three of the accused were sentenced to life on Tuesday.

Singh’s wife, Nayantara, and his daughter, Laxmi Singh, who now serves as the police commissioner of Gautam Buddh Nagar, were present in the courtroom when the life sentences for Vikram Yadav alias Kalia, Panna Singh and Brijesh Yadav were pronounced.

After Special CBI Court Judge Vayu Nandan Mishra delivered the sentences, the mother-daughter left the courtroom in silence. Police personnel escorted them through the complex to their waiting vehicle. Holding Nayantara’s hand, Laxmi walked beside her, supporting her mother who has difficulties walking now.

This brings to a close the high-profile murder case, stemming from a land dispute. A 2000-batch IPS officer, Laxmi Singh was 28 at the time of the murder, which had rocked the city’s legal community, leading to protests and roadblocks.

After her father’s murder in Lucknow, Laxmi Singh moved to Uttar Pradesh after then Chief Minister Mayawati agreed to her transfer on a three-year deputation. Originally a West Bengal cadre IPS officer, she had sought the transfer.

In the afternoon of August 8, 2002, senior advocate Indradev Singh, then 57, met Nayantara and Digvijay, his son — who is now a teacher — near the Lucknow district court, planning to ride to Aminabad to shop for upcoming festivals. Singh had set off on his bike, with his wife and son following him on another two-wheeler and had reached the Kaiserbagh Telephone Exchange, barely 500 metres from the court, when two assailants on another bike ambushed him.

According to the prosecution, before Singh could react, one of the two bike-borne men opened fire on him at close range. A bullet struck Singh in the neck, and he lost control of his bike and collapsed on the road. Nayantara and Digvijay, then 24, rushed to his side and, along with other passers-by, took him to a hospital. But it was too late. The doctors declared him dead.

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Earlier, on June 30 2026, the three accused were held guilty of murder and criminal conspiracy. Vikram Yadav, who was already in jail in another case, and Panna Singh and Brijesh Yadav, who had been out on bail, were taken into custody after their convictions, with their sentencing scheduled for July 7. Three other accused — alleged key conspirator Manna Lal Gupta, Ved Prakash Lohia alias Neta and Chhote Lal alias Chhotu Yadav — had died during the trial.

CBI counsel K P Singh said the court sentenced the three convicts to life imprisonment and imposed a total fine of Rs 1.5 lakh on them. The court also directed that 80 per cent of the fine amount be paid to the complainant as compensation.

Defence Counsel Ashish Tripathi said they would file an appeal against the judgment.

‘Conspiracy to kill’

After Indradev Singh’s killing, Nayantara lodged a complaint at Kaiserbagh police station, alleging that the murder stemmed from a long-running dispute between her husband and his former associate, Manna Lal.

The investigation was initially handled by a Special Investigation Team constituted by the Lucknow police. Amid mounting public pressure, the probe was transferred to the CBI later in 2002. According to the prosecution, the CBI found that the murder was the fallout of a dispute over a parcel of land on Sitapur Road.

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Complainant’s counsel Ram Kumar Yadav said Indradev Singh had purchased the land and entrusted his associate, Manna Lal, a former lekhpal and lawyer, with developing it into residential plots for sale.

Relations between the two allegedly soured after Singh discovered irregularities in the transactions. The prosecution alleged that Manna Lal failed to account for advances and booking amounts collected from prospective buyers and stopped maintaining accurate financial records. As the dispute escalated, Singh accused him of cheating in several land deals.

The CBI alleged that Manna Lal conspired to eliminate Singh and hired contract killers to execute the plan. CBI counsel K P Singh said the investigation found that Vikram Yadav, who had a criminal record, fired the fatal shot while riding pillion on the two-wheeler driven by Brijesh Yadav, as they approached the victim’s bike. Panna Singh was also part of the conspiracy, according to the agency.

The CBI filed its chargesheet on August 7, 2003, naming six accused on charges of murder and criminal conspiracy. K P Singh said the prosecution examined 50 witnesses during the trial, while the defence did not examine any witnesses.