A day after a state resident was reported dead after a police raid at a Gorakhpur hotel, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Thursday, 30 September, ordered the dismissal of police officers involved in "very serious offences".
"There should be no place for such people in the Police Department and action will be taken against them as per rules," the order issued by the chief minister's office said, news agency PTI reported. The order has directed officials to identify such police personnel and provide a list of the names, with due evidence.
The statement comes in the light of an incident wherein six police personnel in Gorakhpur have been accused of murder of a 38-year-old businessman from Kanpur, who died during a late-night raid at a hotel in Gorakhpur.
“Of late, there have been complaints of involvement of police officers, police personnel in unauthorised activities. This is not acceptable. The police department has no place for any such persons,” the order was quoted as saying.
The order noted that tainted police personnel will not be deputed to important positions in the force.
Gorakhpur 'Murder' Case
A businessman, identified as Manish Kumar Gupta, had been injured in a raid conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Police at a Gorakhpur hotel in the wee hours of Wednesday. Gupta, who sustained injuries in the raid, succumbed to his wounds in the hospital where he was subsequently taken.
Based on the complaint of his wife Meenakshi Gupta, an FIR has been filed against six police officers allegedly involved in the purported murder.
The police, while it has suspended the accused personnel, has denied the accusation of murder. In a statement, Gorakhpur SP Vipin Tada 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.
According to the police, Gupta died after a fall in the hotel room and maintain that it was an "accident". The incident will be probed by SP North (Manoj Kumar Awasthi), Tada had said.
Meanwhile, the police said that Rs 10 lakh will be paid as compensation to the businessman's family, as directed by chief minister.
Meenakshi Gupta, however, has alleged that the policemen misbehaved with her husband and assaulted him when he objected to their behaviour.
In a video that has been widely circulated, Meenakshi Gupta states that the police had discouraged her from filing an FIR. Gupta's family has demanded a CBI probe into the case.
The post-mortem report has revealed that several injuries were inflicted upon Gupta, and cites the cause of death as “coma antemortem injury.”
Chief Minister Adityanath on Thursday met with the Gorakhpur deceased's family, assuring Meenakshi Gupta that a CBI probe would be recommended into the death, if she sends a communication requesting one.
The chief minister also assured her of other assistance, including the provision of a government job for her, and the transfer of the murder case to Kanpur, as per her demand, news agency IANS reported.
'Injustice of the BJP Government': Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati, Others Condemn Incident
A number of politicians, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, took to Twitter to condemn the alleged crime against Manish Gupta.
"Very sad to see the painful video of Meenakshi Gupta ji. My condolences to the family of Manish Gupta ji. I am with you in this fight against the injustice of the BJP government. Will take justice - is a right, not a favor!" Gandhi stated in a tweet.
Mayawati also took to Twitter to criticise Adityanath and the BJP government. She claimed that this incident has revealed the true nature of law and order in the state. She, on behalf of BSP, demanded that justice be provided to the victim's family at the earliest.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the General Secretary of the Indian National Congress, also tweeted that the current UP government is an enabler to such instances. She claimed that the police is barbaric to the common folk, and soft towards criminals.
Hitting out at Adityanath, Yadav blamed the incident on the "culture of encounters" in UP, the practice of which, he claimed, was started by BJP.
(With inputs from PTI and IANS.)
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