In Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, an 18-year-old athlete, Pratham Singh, died under suspicious circumstances after falling from a high-rise building inside Mahagunpuram Society, located within the Kavi Nagar police station limits. Pratham Singh was an emerging mixed martial arts and boxing practitioner. Following serious allegations leveled by his family, local law enforcement authorities have registered an FIR invoking charges of murder alongside provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. A high-level police investigation has been initiated into the matter.
Murder Case and SC/ST Act Invoked at Kavi Nagar Police Station
Based on a formal written complaint submitted by the deceased's mother, Neetu Rani, the Kavi Nagar police station registered Case No. 0572/2026 under Sections 103(1) (murder), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, along with Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The FIR names three individuals as accused: Ritika, her father Lalit Prajapati, and her brother Jatin Prajapati. Considering the gravity of the allegations, the supervision of the investigation has been assigned directly to the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Kavi Nagar.
Caste Opposition and Background of the Dispute
Neetu Rani, originally a native of Mussoorie in Uttarakhand and currently residing in Dream Homes Wave City, Ghaziabad, stated that her 18-year-old only son Pratham Singh was a dedicated athlete who had previously secured a bronze medal in the district karate championship. Pratham shared a friendship with Ritika, a resident of the nearby Mahagunpuram Society. According to the complaint, Ritika's family strongly objected to the association due to caste considerations. Neetu Rani recounted that approximately three to four months prior, Ritika's parents had visited their residence and sternly opposed any relationship, explicitly referencing the victim's Scheduled Caste (Khatik) identity and issuing dire threats of serious consequences. To prevent escalation and avoid public discord, Pratham's family had subsequently sent him to Dehradun for specialized boxing training.
Timeline from Return on August 12 to the Events of August 13
According to the chronological sequence outlined by the family, Pratham returned home to Ghaziabad from Dehradun on the night of August 12, 2026. On the following morning, around 10:00 AM, he stepped out of his house without informing family members. By approximately 1:30 PM, the family received information via relatives in Mussoorie and through the Police Control Room regarding the discovery of a young man's body inside the premises of Mahagunpuram Society. Upon arriving at the Hindon Mortuary, family members identified the body as that of Pratham Singh.
Body Recovered Below Residential Tower and Allegations of Assault
The tower beneath which Pratham's body was discovered houses the apartment of Ritika's family on the 14th or 15th floor. In their complaint, the victim's family alleged that the accused lured Pratham to the building under false pretenses. They asserted that surrounding residents overheard commotion and physical altercations prior to the fall. Furthermore, the family claims that CCTV footage from the complex indicates that Ritika, her brother Jatin Prajapati, her father Lalit Prajapati, and others physically assaulted Pratham before forcibly throwing him off the high-rise floor with intent to kill.
Current Status of Police Investigation and Legal Proceedings
The Kavi Nagar police are pursuing a comprehensive probe into the incident. Investigating personnel have secured video recordings from CCTV cameras deployed across the main entry gates, elevators, and corridors of the concerned tower at Mahagunpuram Society for forensic review. In addition, mobile phone Call Detail Records (CDR) of all concerned parties are being examined to reconstruct the exact timeline of communications prior to the incident. Statements from eyewitnesses and society residents are being documented as police work to substantiate the evidence required for further legal proceedings.
