Press Statement
12th April 2025

Justice Under Fire: Stop Police Brutality and Extrajudicial Killings in BJP-Ruled States

The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) vehemently condemns the escalating trend of extrajudicial killings and police brutality, particularly in Uttar Pradesh and other BJP-governed states, exemplified by the chilling case of Somesh Gautam. In September 2022, Somesh, a BTech student from Mathura, was allegedly subjected to a staged police encounter by officers from Jewar police station in Noida. According to his family, plainclothes police raided their home without a warrant, abducted Somesh from Delhi, blindfolded him, and shot him in the leg, leaving him permanently impaired. Falsely branded a “hardened criminal” and charged with murder, Somesh endured torture, including electric shocks, while his family fought for two years to secure his bail and file an FIR against 12 officers, as ordered by a Greater Noida court in April 2025. This brazen violation of due process underscores a systemic disregard for the rule of law, fostered by administrations that shield such atrocities, eroding public trust and justice.

We caution the governments of Uttar Pradesh and other BJP-ruled states against allowing their police forces to morph into tools of oppression, targeting innocent citizens under the guise of law enforcement. The Somesh Gautam case is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern where encounter killings and custodial abuses disproportionately victimize dissenters, minorities, and marginalized groups, signaling a slide toward authoritarianism. The SDPI calls for urgent judicial intervention, independent probes, and robust reforms, including mandatory body cameras and oversight mechanisms, to curb police excesses. We stand resolute with Somesh and countless others, vowing to champion their fight for justice until human dignity and constitutional values are upheld across the nation.

Adv. Sharfuddin Ahmad
National Vice President
Social Democratic Party of India