The Supreme Court on Friday transferred from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi the trial in the case involving the death of a property dealer during a police raid on a hotel in Gorakhpur district in September, Live Law reported.
The court’s order was based on a petition filed by deceased realtor Manish Gupta’s wife for a fair trial in the case.
Manish Gupta was at Krishna Palace Hotel in Gorakhpur on September 28 along with two other men – Harveer Singh and Pradeep Kumar – when five to seven police officers entered their room. The officers reportedly sought identity documents from them.
When Gupta asked the police why they were being disturbed late at night, they allegedly started threatening him. Singh said that he later saw Gupta, with blood all over his face, being dragged outside the room by the police officers.
The police claimed that Gupta, who was drunk, died after he fell and injured himself in his hotel room.
But the property dealer’s wife, Meenakshi Gupta, alleged that he died after being assaulted by six police officers. They have all been arrested.
On Friday, Meenakshi Gupta’s lawyer told the Supreme Court that influential people were involved in the case and for her safety, the trial must be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation court in Delhi, NDTV reported.
“This court is our only hope of justice,” the lawyer said.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing Uttar Pradesh, informed the court that the CBI had taken over the investigation of the case and the state government had no objection to the trial being transferred to Delhi.
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