Vijay Yadav, the alleged accused of gangster Sanjeev Maheshwari Jeeva's murder, has two prior criminal cases lodged against him, including kidnapping and rape of a minor girl for marriage, at the Deogaon police station in Azamgarh district of eastern Uttar Pradesh.

He has been charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) in an FIR lodged against him around nine years ago in 2016 in the first case.

The second case was lodged against him under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 186 for obstructing a public servant in discharge of public functions and Section 269 for an unlawful act at Kerakat police station of Jaunpur district in 2020.

Vijay Yadav, 24, resident of Sultanpur Sarki village under the Kerakat police station limits of Jaunpur, passed B.Com four years ago. He had been living in Lucknow for the last three months and worked as a plumber during this period in the state capital.

Earlier, after completing his education, he went to Mumbai where he worked as a daily wager. The son of a farmer, he is the second of four siblings.

According to his father Shyama Yadav, he went to Lucknow three months ago with another youngster of the area, returning home after a month and then paid subsequent visits to his village every fortnight.

He last left his home on May 11 and his mobile phone was switched off since then. (IANS/NS)