17 cops face prosecution for custodial killing in Agra
Raju Gupta died in police custody in Agra; 17 officers are charged. His mother sought justice but passed away before the case progressed.
Renu Gupta, Raju’s mother, actively pursued legal action against those responsible for her son’s death. However, she passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic before the case reached the prosecution stage.
At least 17 policemen, including an inspector, two sub-inspectors, and four head constables, have been held responsible for the custodial death of 30-year-old Raju Gupta in Agra. The Uttar Pradesh crime investigation department (CID) has submitted a chargesheet to the state government, seeking sanction to prosecute the accused in the case dating back to November 22, 2018.
Rajendra Yadav, superintendent of police (SP) at the CID in Lucknow, confirmed to Hindustan that a detailed chargesheet has been forwarded to the state government. “All the policemen on duty at Sikandra police station on that day were found guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and illegal confinement,” he said.
The incident occurred at Sikandra police station, where Raju Gupta, a resident of Narendra Enclave on Gailana Road in Agra, was taken into custody without an FIR (first information report) being registered. On November 21, 2018, Gupta was allegedly detained following a complaint by Anshul Pratap, a neighbour, who suspected him of stealing a bag containing jewellery.
According to accounts, he was beaten inside Sikandra police station in the presence of his mother, Renu Gupta. His health deteriorated the next day, and when police took him to the hospital, doctors declared him dead on arrival.
The postmortem report revealed serious injury marks on his body, suggesting physical assault during custody. His death triggered protests across the city, leading to the registration of a murder case against unidentified policemen and an inquiry ordered by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Renu Gupta, Raju’s mother, actively pursued legal action against those responsible for her son’s death. However, she passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic before the case reached the prosecution stage.
