Over two months after six policemen were arrested in the death case of Kanpur businessman Manish Gupta, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a chargesheet against the accused on Friday, 7 January.
Gupta was allegedly beaten to death by the police at a hotel in UP’s Gorakhpur, during a late-night raid on 28 September.
The chargesheet against then SHO/Inspector, three Sub-Inspectors, a Head Constable, and a Constable, has been filed under Sections 302 (murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation), 218 (public servant framing incorrect record), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) read with 34, 120-B (criminal conspiracy), and 149 of the Indian Penal Code in the Court of Special Judicial Magistrate, Lucknow.
Background
Gupta and two of his friends and business associates from different cities were in the hotel room when the police raided the premises. They said that they were in Gorakhpur to meet a common friend.
The businessman had sustained injuries in the raid and was hospitalised but later succumbed to his injuries.
The post-mortem report had revealed several injuries sustained by Gupta, including an abraded contusion swelling in the middle of forehead, "cutting brain skull underneath brain haematoma present," lacerated wound over right arm, "abraded contusion on the left upper lid while cutting skin underneath haematoma present," among others.
Gupta's wife had then alleged that the police officers misbehaved with her husband and assaulted him when he objected to their behaviour. Furthermore, the cops also allegedly delayed taking him to the hospital.
Based on the complaint of the businessman's wife, Meenakshi Gupta, an FIR was filed against the police officers allegedly involved in the purported murder. The six cops were also consequently suspended by the UP government after facing heat from Opposition leaders.
However, the police maintained that Gupta had died after a fall in the hotel room and it was an "accident."
In a statement, Gorakhpur SP Vipin Tada had said that the police had gone to the hotel to conduct a check for criminals as three suspects were staying in one of the rooms.
In October, a CCTV footage surfaced in which cops could be seen carrying Gupta downstairs from the hotel lobby.