Samajwadi Party Leader Kamlesh Balmiki Found Dead At Home In UP

Samajwadi Party leader and former lawmaker Kamlesh Balmiki was found dead under mysterious circumstances at his home in Uttar Pradesh''s Bulandshahr district on Monday, the police said.

The 52-year-old was found dead in his home in Khurja town in the afternoon by his nephew, a senior police official told news agency PTI.

"The house was bolted from inside. It was somehow opened by four members of the family. The iron gate of the room, where Balmiki's body was found, was also locked from inside and the family members had to open that as well," police officer Gopal Singh said.

The body has been taken into custody and the police suspect it to be a case of poisoning. They are awaiting the post-mortem report to find out the cause of death.

"The body has been sent for post-mortem, but prime facie it appears to be a case of poisoning with the body turning slightly blue. We can confirm the cause only after getting the post-mortem report," he said.

A team of police officers, along with forensic experts visited Balmiki's house on Idgah Road in Khurja, the police said.

Balmiki had won the 2009 Lok Sabha election from the Bulandshahr constituency and served as a member of the Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution in the 15th Lok Sabha.