UP Businessman Death: A murder case has been filed against three cops.
As the controversy deepens over the death of a UP businessman, which has led to the suspension of six cops from Gorakhpur, the post-mortem report has now revealed he died because of "coma due to injuries". The family of the businessman had earlier alleged "vicious" assault by the police during a raid. A murder case has been filed against three cops.
On Monday, Manish Gupta, 36, a property dealer from Kanpur, was visiting Gorakhpur - along with two friends - to meet a fourth associate. Led by a senior police inspector, six Gorakhpur cops allegedly barged into their hotel room past midnight and allegedly assaulted Mr Gupta and his friends when asked to explain the late-night checks.
After the alleged assault, Mr Gupta's family said, the police also delayed taking him to the hospital.
A post-mortem was conducted by a panel of doctors on Tuesday, about 15 hours after the businessman's death. It lists various injuries the businessman suffered, including a swelling in the middle of his head, a cut above the elbow joint and injuries to the upper lip.
After nationwide criticism over the businessman's death, six cops were suspended on Tuesday night, but only three of them have been named as accused in a murder case filed by the police after the businessman's wife filed a complaint.
In her complaint, the wife had named six policemen, but it is not clear why all of them have not been named in the FIR (first information report).
A widely shared video on social media shows top officials allegedly trying to dissuade the family from filing a police case.
It is not clear who shot the video but as per reports it was filmed by a family member of Mr Gupta during a meeting with Gorakhpur district magistrate Vijay Kiran Anand and police chief Vipin Tada, hours before the FIR was filed in the case.
The video appears to show the district magistrate telling the family that "a court case will take years". "I am requesting you like an elder brother. After a court case, you will not believe, it takes years in court," Mr Anand purportedly says in the video
The video then appears to show police chief Tada interjecting, and saying "they (cops) did not have any previous enmity. They went in uniform and that is why I am listening to you since morning. You asked for them to be suspended and I did that. They will not be reinstated till they get a clean chit."
"I want their jobs taken", a woman's voice is heard before the two officials appear to realise they are being filmed and ask for it to be stopped.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav met with the family of Mr Gupta in Kanpur this morning. "Till the BJP government is in power you cannot hope for any justice from the police. A sitting judge of the high court or the CBI should enquire into this matter. Why have the District Magistrate or SSP not been suspended despite their efforts that an FIR was not registered in the case?" Mr Yadav asked after the meeting.
The family is also expected to meet with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who had announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the family, later today.