A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was set-up by the Uttar Pradesh government to probe last week’s disputed killing of the gangster Vikas Dubey. A member of the team has himself been chargesheeted for the crime of killing a man in a fake encounter 13 years ago.
The officer under consideration is DIG J. Ravinder Goud, along with Sanjay Bhoosreddy, the additional chief secretary, and DG of Police Hariram Sharma was the part of the SIT.
The CBI probe was ordered by Allahabad High Court into the encounter of a young medicine dealer in Bareilly. Goud was chargesheeted by CBI but the government retained the permission to prosecute him. Even the government of Yogi has not given the approval due to which he keeps up to go free.
Furthermore, an eminent jurist held the opinion that the incorporation of the officer in the team had a clear objective of passing the chit to those who were involved and to carry on the encounter.
“It is really shocking to find that someone who is tainted with a fake encounter has been seen asked to probe what is widely seen as another fake encounter”, said I.B. Singh, a senior advocate of the High Court.
The SIT, who was asked to submit the report by 31st July, seemed fair with an IAS officer of the rank of Additional Chief Secretary as its head. Though Bhoosreddy is popularly known for his integrity, the inclusion of Goud raised the uncertainty.
Gupta, a young man, was shot by a bunch of policemen, who justifies their acts by reporting him as “mafia-don” and related him with some major crimes.
His father, Brijendra Gupta, decided to repulse against the dreadful injustice to his innocent son. He filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court for a CBI probe, which was accepted, and 10 policemen, including Goud, were chargesheeted.
After the years of determination, Guptas had the satisfaction of proving the police wrong, but Goud was not prosecuted as the state government didn’t approve the case against him to proceed.
Later on, in April 2015, Gupta’s parents were murdered. Even though the suspicion was pointed on the policemen who were chargesheeted by the CBI, but the investigation never underwent any advancement.
It was reported that, before the murder of his parents, the High Court instructed the state government to grant permission for Goud’s prosecution. He was moved to the Supreme Court which refused to grant him any relief. Even though his arrest sustained, but his case never proceeded.
The government refuses to answer any question regarding Goud’s case and also his appointment in the SIT team.
This News has been written and submitted by Ms. Vishakha Bhardwaj during her course of internship at B&B Associates LLP. Ms. Vishakha is a third-year law student at the Army Institute of Law, Mohali.
