Main accused in Kasganj’s Chandan Gupta murder case dies at Lucknow’s KGMU

Salim Sheikh, 48, was shifted from Kasganj to Lucknow due to health issues. He was admitted to the Balrampur Hospital on July 30 and then referred to KGMU on August 16, say jail officials

LUCKNOW Salim Sheikh, 48, the main accused in the 2018 Chandan Gupta murder case in Kasganj, died at Lucknow’s King George’s Medical University (KGMU) following kidney related complications.

Suffering from septicemia and other illnesses, Salim Sheikh was admitted to the Trauma Centre’s ICU on August 16, and died on Tuesday night, said KGMU media cell in charge. (Pic for representation)

Suffering from septicemia and other illnesses, he was admitted to the Trauma Centre’s ICU on August 16, and died on Tuesday night, said KGMU media cell in charge Dr KK Singh.

Sheikh was among the 28 people convicted in connection with the murder of Chandan Gupta, who was shot dead in a communal clash that broke out during a 2018 Tiranga Yatra in Kasganj.

He was undergoing dialysis and was shifted from Kasganj to Lucknow jail due to health issues. He was admitted to the Balrampur Hospital on July 30 and then referred to KGMU on August 16, jail officials in Kasganj stated in a release. Sheikh’s body was handed over to his family after post-mortem examination.

On May 31, Sheikh was released on parole due to his illness, but his condition kept deteriorating, which led to his return to jail custody.

On January 26, 2018, Abhishek Gupta, alias Chandan Gupta, was leading a Tiranga Yatra in Kasganj along with his brother Vivek and friends, chanting patriotic slogans while carrying the national flag on two-wheelers.

Salim fired at Chandan, leaving him critically injured. Despite efforts to rush him to the hospital, Chandan was declared dead. His father, Sushil Gupta, filed an FIR, triggering large-scale police action. The murder led to days of communal tension in Kasganj.