This comprehensive biography details the life and untimely death of Darvesh Singh Yadav, a prominent lawyer and trailblazing figure in Uttar Pradesh, India.

Wiki/Biography

Darvesh Singh Yadav was born in 1981 in Etah, Uttar Pradesh. She completed her schooling locally before earning her Bachelor of Laws from Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Agra (now Agra University). She began her legal practice in 2004, sharing an office with Manish Babu Sharma, a senior colleague from her university.

Physical Appearance

• Height (approx.): 5’4″
• Eye Colour: Black
• Hair Colour: Black

Family, Husband & Caste

Darvesh Yadav hailed from the Other Backward Caste (OBC). Her ancestral village was Chandpur, Uttar Pradesh. Sadly, she lost both parents during her teenage years; her father was a retired UP Police officer, and her mother a Sub-Inspector. She is survived by a younger brother and sister, Kanchan. Kanchan, having completed her police training just days before Darvesh’s election as President of the Bar Council, was offered a Sub-Inspector position in the UP Police following their mother’s death.

Career

Darvesh’s legal career began in Etah alongside Manish Babu Sharma. After five years, she moved to Agra in 2009. Her ascent was rapid. In 2014, she made history as the first woman elected Vice-President of the Uttar Pradesh Bar Council.

Known for her kindness and compassion, Darvesh actively engaged with the community, attending funerals, celebrations, and always offering a warm greeting. Her 2019 presidential campaign emphasized improvements to the Bar Council, including establishing libraries across UP, providing compensation for families of deceased advocates, covering medical expenses for ill advocates, and creating chambers for junior advocates.

Death

Elected President of the UP Bar Council on June 10, 2019, (sharing the role with another lawyer on a six-month rotating basis), Darvesh was tragically shot and killed on June 12, 2019, while attending a felicitation ceremony in Agra’s civil court. The shooter, her former colleague Manish Babu Sharma, with whom she’d had a strained relationship for six months, also died by suicide at the scene.

The incident occurred in the chambers of senior advocate Arvind Mishra. An argument erupted between Darvesh and Manish, culminating in Manish shooting Darvesh three times before turning the gun on himself. Both were rushed to Pushpanjali Hospital, where Darvesh was pronounced dead.

Facts

Following the tragedy, numerous tributes poured in. Former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav visited Darvesh’s family, offering condolences and urging increased security for lawyers. The Delhi High Court Bar Council and the Bar Council of India issued statements condemning the murder and demanding justice, with the latter also requesting 50 Lacs INR in compensation for Darvesh’s family.