SP spokesperson detained under SC/ST Act in UP's Barabanki

Uttar Pradesh Police has detained Samajwadi Party national spokesperson Manoj Yadav under the SC/ST Act from the Safdarganj area here, officials said on Friday. According to officials, Yadav was intercepted in the Safdarganj locality while he was passing through the area with some associates. Soon after being taken into custody, he was taken to a community health centre in Baragaon for a medical examination and later escorted to Lucknow under tight security. Safdarganj SHO Amar Kumar Chaurasia said a case under the SC/ST Act was registered against the SP leader, and the police team detained him in connection with that case. District police officials declined to comment further, stating that the operation was now being handled by Lucknow Police. Meanwhile, Yadav had allegedly gone ''missing under suspicious circumstances'' for the past two days and his wife had lodged a missing person's complaint at the Gomti Nagar Extension police station in Lucknow. Party leaders and workers had also expressed concern over his whereabouts during the last 48 hours.