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Businessman killed in Gorakhpur hotel raid: Will UP police take action against their own?

Manish Kumar’s autopsy shows injuries on body, head; no arrests made so far, but six cops suspended

Kanpur businessman death

Manish Kumar, the Kanpur businessman who was killed in a police raid at a hotel in Gorakhpur, had “four serious injury marks”, his autopsy has revealed. His wife has been protesting the alleged assault on her husband by Uttar Pradesh Police that had raided the hotel room he was staying in with his associates.

She had spoken to the media and alleged that her husband was “assaulted by police officials in the midst of a late-night raid at a Gorakhpur hotel.” She added that while police claimed it was an “accidental death” she had seen his body covered in blood. The couple have a young son, and she has demanded an enquiry into the death and that she be assured that her son’s future was safeguarded.

According to a report in India Today, a post-mortem examination of the victim has revealed “four serious injury marks on his body — on the right arm, wrist, middle of the head, and eyelid.” The report stated that “a 5×4 cm injury in the middle of Manish Gupta’s head proved to be fatal” and that “stick marks were found on his right arm and there were injuries to Gupta’s left eyelid.”

So far, no arrests have been made, but six policemen, including the Station House Officer of Ramgarhtal police station, have been suspended, and a case of murder has also been registered against them. Uttar Pradesh Police continue to maintain that it was an “unfortunate incident of Gorakhpur that led to the death of a civilian.”
 

Meanwhile politics is now simmering over the death with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav calling this an example of the “encounter culture” of the UP government. He demanded that “those who pushed the state on the path of violence should resign,” but remained coy and did not attack anyone directly. He however did meet the family members who have maintained their allegations against the UP police.

 

 

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleged that the UP Police was “soft” on criminals and “brutal” with common people.

 

 

BSP supremo Mayawati said the death exposed tall claims over law and order, as no arrests have been made yet. The cops were suspended when public pressure mounted.

 

 

What happened in Gorakhpur?

Manish Gupta, a property dealer in his 30s, was killed in a hotel in Gorakhpur on Tuesday during a police raid on the premises. He was staying with two friends in the hotel that night. According to a report in The Telegraph, Gupta was an “admirer” of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Adityanath and had gone to Gorakhpur to see the “development work” done by the CM. He is said to have died after being allegedly beaten up by police in his hotel room as he was “taking too much time producing his identity proof.” He was allegedly hit on the head repeatedly with a rifle butt.

The UP Police had earlier claimed Manish Gupta was injured in the  head “after he fell on the ground as he was drunk”. Gupta “was taken to the BRD Medical College where he died during treatment,” the  police claimed, adding that they raided the hotel on a tip off that “suspicious” men were staying there. According to reports, late on Monday night, the police entered the hotel room where Manish Gupta was staying with his two friends and asked for their identity proof.  

The incident came to light only after Manish’s wife Meenakshi came to Gorakhpur and sat on a protest on Tuesday night, demanding justice for her husband who she said was “an Adityanath admirer”. According to a report in India Today, Meenakshi accused the police and hotel staff of a cover-up and alleged, “My husband was murdered in that hotel, he was killed by a policeman. There was no blood on the scene even though my husband was beaten bloody. Two of his friends said that there was blood everywhere, but the hotel staff cleaned it up.”

She has demanded that the case be transferred to Kanpur for investigation; that the family be given Rs 50 lakh in compensation and a job by the state government. However  Kanpur District Magistrate Vishakh G told the media that “the family was satisfied with the assurances given by the administration” and that they had been given Rs 10 lakh already while “their demands would be put before higher authorities.”

According to the news report, a video of the UP Police officers who came to meet the victim’s family has gone viral and allegedly shows officials telling the family members that the case “would go on for a long time in court”. 

 

 

Kanpur DM Vishakh Aiyar told the media that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath is expected to meet the bereaved family in Kanpur on Thursday, and has already spoken to Meenakshi Gupta “and extended his condolences on Tuesday night”. However, her allegations continue to make news. She has reportedly joined social media to raise her demands, and is bravely sharing videos of her struggle. 

 

 

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