Kanpur businessman's death: CM Yogi Adityanath meets kin, promises job to wife, fair probe

UP CM ordered the Kanpur district administration to prepare a proposal to increase the ex gratia to the family. As per the post-mortem report, Gupta had injury marks on the whole body besides a skull injury.

File Photo

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday (September 3-, 2021) met the family of the Kanpur businessman who died during a police raid at a Gorakhpur hotel, assuring a fair probe and a government job to his wife.

The CM has also directed the Kanpur district administration to prepare a proposal to increase the ex gratia to the family from Rs 10 lakh announced earlier, sources at the Chief Minister's Office said.

Victim Manish Gupta's wife, Meenakshi Gupta, told reporters that the CM has accepted their all demands and agreed to transfer the case from Gorakhpur to Kanpur.

Meanwhile, according to the post-mortem report, Gupta had injury marks on the whole body besides a skull injury.

Earlier in the day, the CM had said the guilty won't be spared in the case, in which six policemen have been booked on the murder charge.

The sources said CM Adityanath announced that Gupta's wife will be given the job of an officer on special duty (OSD) in the Kanpur Development Authority.

Meenakshi Gupta told reporters, "The CM has accepted all our demands and we are satisfied with the meeting."

"The CM has asked for an application for a CBI inquiry as per our demand and has accepted my plea for a government job and financial security for my son's future," she said.

"Besides, he has also agreed to transfer the case from Gorakhpur to Kanpur, taking note of the seriousness of the matter," she said.

Meanwhile, the Opposition slammed the state government over law and order.

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav, who rushed to the home of the businessman at Burra in Kanpur, demanded a CBI probe under the supervision of a sitting High Court judge.

He also announced Rs 20 lakh to the family besides assuring of meeting legal costs in the fight for justice.

Yadav said the incident is part of the state government's "thoko neeti" (encounter policy), which has given a licence to kill to "trigger-happy policemen".

Akhilesh alleged that evidence has been destroyed from the hotel where Gupta was "murdered".

If justice is not done, then SP will launch a march from Kanpur to Lucknow to wake up the government from its slumber, he said.

BSP supremo Mayawati too sought a CBI inquiry into the matter.

Mayawati termed as "grossly unfair" the "attempt" by the Gorakhpur police to "save" the policemen, who were prima facie guilty of vandalism in the hotel.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also hit out at the BJP government and according to party sources, she is likely to pay a visit to the victim's family.

Meanwhile, two senior Gorakhpur officials were allegedly caught on tape, apparently asking a Kanpur businessman's family not to pursue his death case.

It is not immediately clear whether the video was recorded before or after a murder case was registered.

In the video put up by the Uttar Pradesh Congress on its Twitter handle, an officer in a police uniform and another sitting next to him are seen with the kin of the dead businessman.

The officer in police uniform has an IPS badge on his shoulder.

Samajwadi Party's district president Ram Nagina Sahni said they appeared to be District Magistrate Vijay Kiran Anand and SSP Vipin Tada.

The Kanpur police and the district administration on Thursday morning persuaded Gupta's family to perform the last rites.

The autopsy report said there were injury marks on the entire body of the victim, including eyes, limbs and back besides a wide skull injury.

Gorakhpur ADG Akhil Kumar inspected the hotel and told the reporters that the probe has been handed over to the crime branch.

The ADG said medical reports and CCTV footage will be incorporated in the probe.

Since the accusation is against police, care will be taken to conduct the probe in an impartial manner, he said.

Gorakhpur SSP Vipin Tada said three policemen--Ramgarhtal SHO Jagat Narayan Singh, Sub-Inspectors Akshay Mishra and Vijay Yadav--have been named in the case.

Inspector K K Rana, who was recently transferred from Gonda, has taken the charge of the Ramgarhtal police station.