Bijnor Murder Case: Court Directs FIR Against Five Family Members in Contractor Death Mystery
In a significant development in a year-old mysterious death case, police in Bijnor have registered a murder case against five family members, including the wife of an irrigation department contractor, following explicit directions from the court. The case pertains to the puzzling deaths of contractor Deepak alias Devrishi Gautam and his driver Indrapal in Amroha's Gajraula area, which initially appeared to be an accident but has now taken a dramatic turn towards alleged foul play.
The Tragic Incident and Initial Investigation
The incident dates back to May 29 last year when 42-year-old Deepak Gautam, a resident of Shuklapuri locality, and his 40-year-old driver Indrapal, from Chaubara village, were discovered dead at Gautam's office-cum-residence in Avantika Nagar. Police reports indicate that Indrapal was found inside a running car, while Gautam's body was located inside the house. According to official statements, Gautam had arrived at the premises with his driver a day earlier and had informed his family that he would be staying overnight. When he failed to respond to phone calls the following morning, his wife Rekha sent her nephew to check on him, leading to the grim discovery.
Initially, the authorities treated the case as a suspicious death. On May 30 last year, police suggested that preliminary evidence pointed towards possible suffocation due to a gas leakage from the LPG-fitted vehicle, which was found running at the scene. At that time, no formal case had been registered, and the matter seemed to be heading towards closure as an unfortunate accident.
Court Intervention and Allegations of Murder
The case took a completely different trajectory in November last year when Gautam's father, Atarpal Singh, approached the court with serious allegations. He claimed that his son and the driver were murdered by poisoning and explicitly named several family members as the accused. Singh asserted that he possessed sufficient evidence to support his allegations of premeditated murder, compelling the judicial system to intervene.
Following the court's directions, the police have now officially registered an FIR under BNS section 103(1), which pertains to murder. The accused named in the FIR include Rekha (the contractor's wife), along with her relatives Shashi, Vishal, his uncle—all residents of Sambhal—and Priyanka from Bulandshahr. This legal action marks a pivotal shift from the initial accident theory to a full-fledged murder investigation.
Current Status and Police Investigation
SHO Manoj Kumar confirmed that an investigation has been launched into the case based on the court's directives. As of now, no arrests have been made, and the police are meticulously examining all aspects of the allegations and evidence presented. The registration of the FIR underscores the seriousness with which the judicial authorities are treating the father's claims, potentially unraveling a complex family dispute that may have led to the tragic deaths.
This development highlights the crucial role of judicial oversight in ensuring that suspicious deaths are thoroughly investigated, especially when family members raise credible allegations. The case continues to unfold as investigators delve deeper into the circumstances surrounding the deaths, seeking to determine whether what initially seemed like an accident was, in fact, a meticulously planned crime.
