Probing into the fake encounter of trader Mukul Gupta in Bareilly in 2007, the CBI has sought sanction from the state government to prosecute 10 cops, including SSP Lucknow J Ravindra Goud.
Goud was the assistant superintendent of police (ASP) in Bareilly when the encounter took place.
On the direction of Allahabad high court, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probed into the encounter and found cops’ claims that Gupta had fired at them first to be false.
“The cops killed Gupta believing him to be a member of a robbers’ gang. On the direction of Goud, an FIR at Fatehganj police station was lodged stating police was tipped off that a criminal gang was planning to carry out a bank robbery,” a CBI officer said.
“A few people, including Gupta, were seen moving in an SUV. When challenged by police, Gupta and his associates opened fire after which the cops killed Gupta and two members of the gang were taken into custody,” the FIR said. The police also showed recovery of country-made weapons from the vehicle.
However, t he CBI said the policemen tried to erase evidence and the rifle used by constable Jagdish Singh Yadav to kill Gupta was deposited in the police armoury of Ghaziabad GRP. During the probe, CBI sleuths also found that the constables had opened fire at Gupta on Goud’s directions. Later, the deceased’s family members approached the district administration officials to lodge complaint against the policemen but the officials and later even the district court refused to entertain their petition.
Thereafter, Gupta’s father Brijendra Kumar approached the HC, which directed the district court to register the FIR.
On September 11, 2008, FIR was registered against 11 cops, including Goud, sub inspectors Vikas Saxena, Mula Singh, Virendra Sharma and Dhirendra Kumar Sharma, constables Gauri Shankar Vishwakarma, Jagdish Singh Yadav, Anil Kumar and one other, under section 120-B, 210 and 304 of the IPC.
In February 2010, HC ordered a CBI probe into the case. The CBI registered a murder case again stall the 11 policemen, including Goud.