Priyanka Gandhi Vadra allowed to visit family of UP man who died in police custody

This is the second time in less than a month Priyanka has been stopped, this time en route to Agra.

Her car was stopped at the first toll plaza on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway.

"If I'm at home, ok. If I go to my office, ok. But the moment I go elsewhere, then they start this tamasha. Why? Eventually I will meet the family. This is becoming ridiculous... people are being affected. Look at the traffic (behind her stopped convoy)," the Congress leader told reporters shortly before she was taken into detention.

Priyanka also reminded the Centre and UP government of her constitutional right to free movement in the country.

Earlier she tweeted asking "what is the UP government so afraid of?"

"Arun Valmiki died in police custody. His family is seeking justice. I want to visit that family. What is the UP government afraid of? Why am I being stopped? Today is Lord Valmiki Jayanti... PM Modi spoke big on Buddha but this is attacking his message," she wrote in Hindi.

UP Police informed that Priyanka was stopped as per an order issued by the Agra District Magistrate, which cited potential law and order issues and directed cops to stop political leaders from visiting the city.

Chaotic visuals emerged from the scene that showed the Congress leader surrounded by a sea of people, including policemen, as she attempted to make her way through the blockade.

Earlier in the day, UP Police said Arun Valmiki, accused of stealing money, died after his health deteriorated during interrogation.

After he had fallen sick, the accused was taken to a hospital but doctors declared him dead, said reports.

Valmiki was accused of stealing the money from a building that served as the police station's evidence warehouse. He worked as a cleaner there.

A post-mortem was carried out on his body before being handed over to the family.

Priyanka was detained earlier this month as she tried to visit the families of the farmers killed during the Lakhimpur Kheri violence in Uttar Pradesh.

Her brother, party MP Rahul Gandhi, was also stopped from visiting the families.