Agra: Once sentenced to death for brutal murder of six of his family members in Agra's Turkia village, Gambhir Singh walked out of Agra Central Jail, free from all charges, on Wednesday, after being acquitted by the Supreme Court.
Gambhir Singh's release was possible after the apex court overturned the previous rulings of the trial court and the Allahabad High Court, citing serious lapses in investigation and failure of prosecution to establish critical evidence.
Jailor of Agra Central Jail, Deepankar Bharti, said that they received a release warrant from Supreme Court late Tuesday night, following which Singh was released on Wednesday.
Singh, who was charged with murdering his brother, sister-in-law and their four children, claimed to be innocent and said he had faith in God that nothing would happen to him. "I don't know where life will take me now but I hope to start afresh. I have been rewarded for trusting God," Singh said, when he walked free after spending more than 10 years in jail. Singh, however, demanded security stating that there is a threat to his life.
On the other hand, Singh's release has left the surviving family members, the plaintiff in the case, in panic.
The 2012 Turkia Family Murder
On the fateful night of May 9, 2012, farmer Satyabhan, his wife Pushpa, and their four minor children - Aarti (6), Kanhaiya (4), Machhla (3) and Gudiya (2) were brutally murdered with an axe, reportedly over a land dispute involving one bigha property. Agra police claimed to have solved this sensational murder case within a few hours by arresting Satyabhan's younger brother Gambhir Singh, and one of his friends from Bihar named Abhishek, on the basis of information provided by Singh’s sister Gayatri. As per police, Gambhir Singh and Abhishek confessed that they hatched a conspiracy to eliminate Satyabhan and his family as the latter did not give him his share of one bigha land.
Shockingly, both Gambhir Singh and his brother Satyabhan had previously served jail term for murdering their own mother in 2007 over a similar land-related dispute.
Satyabhan was released on bail first and then prime accused Gambhir got bail. After being released from jail, Gambhir asked his brother Satyabhan for his share in the property. However, Satyabhan asked him to sell his share of land to raise money for bail, which eventually triggered enmity between the brothers, police said.
When Satyabhan refused to give his share in the land, Gambhir came home from Delhi with his friend Abhishek on May 9, 2012, and allegedly killed his brother Satyabhan, sister-in-law Pushpa and nephew and niece at night.
In 2017, the trial court sentenced Gambhir Singh to death, and the verdict was upheld by the Allahabad High Court in 2019. However, when Singh filed an appeal, Supreme Court thoroughly reviewed the case and overturned the decision of the High Court and the lower court in 2025.
The SC bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath, Sanjay Karol and Justice Sandeep Mehta highlighted inconsistencies and negligence in investigation. "Allahabad High Court has failed to pay attention to the inherent impossibilities and weaknesses in the case of the prosecution. This case reflects a complete indifference on part of the police and the prosecution," said the Bench, criticising the prosecution's inability to establish key elements such as motive, last-seen evidence, and recovery of incriminating materials.
Meanwhile, Mahavir, the plaintiff and deceased Satyabhan's brother-in-law, expressed fear after Gambhir Singh's release. “After the incident, I had left my village (Ardaya) with my family and moved to Maharashtra for 10 years. We returned to the village only three years ago. I appeal to the Police Commissioner to provide protection to my family," he said.
It is pertinent to mention that Gambhir Singh's alleged accomplice Abhishek had already been acquitted after being declared a minor when the crime was perpetrated.
Timeline of Events
- May 9, 2012: Six family members murdered in Turkia village.
- 2017: Trial court sentences Gambhir Singh to death.
- 2019: Allahabad High Court upholds trial court's death sentence.
- 2020: Singh appeals to the Supreme Court against death sentence.
- 2025: Supreme Court acquits Singh, citing lack of evidence.
