New Delhi:The Delhi High Court on Monday upheld a trial court order sentencing five Uttar Pradesh police officers to 10 years imprisonment. Earlier, the five UP police officers were found guilty by the trial court in connection with the custodial death of a 26-year-old youth Sonu.
Besides, the trial court's sentencing of an inspector to three years imprisonment for kidnapping Sonu in the same case was also upheld by the Delhi High Court. The court rejected the police officers’ pleas that the deceased had died of suicide. The court found serious lapses in the records. Besides the general diary entries were fabricated and manipulated.
Sonu had been picked up by policemen in a civil dress on September 1, 2006. He was brought to Police Chowki Nithari, Sector 31 Noida in a private vehicle. On September 2, he was lodged in the lock-up of Police Station Sector 20, Noida at 3:25 am. It was stated that Sonu was wanted for an investigation in a robbery case. He was found dead in the lock-up at 5.30 am.
The case was transferred from Gautam Budh Nagar to Delhi as per the directive of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court had stated that free and fair trial would not be possible in the State of Uttar Pradesh since the accused were members of the Uttar Pradesh police.
On March 14, 2019, sub-inspectors Hindveer Singh and Mahesh Mishra, along with constables Pradeep Kumar, Pushpender Kumar and Haripal Singh, were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by a trial court. Inspector Kunwar Pal Singh was sentenced to three years imprisonment. The court acquitted sub-inspector Vinod Kuma Pandey due to a lack of evidence.
