Lucknow, 19 May: In a landmark victory for Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni, the Allahabad High Court’s Lucknow bench dismissed an Uttar Pradesh government appeal against the union Minister’s acquittal in the Prabhat Gupta murder case in 2000.
The high court also upheld the sessions court’s acquittal of Ajay Mishra Teni. A joint bench of Justice AR Masoodi and OP Shukla announced the decision on Friday, acquitting four suspects in the 23-year-old murder case, including Ajay Mishra Teni. Prabhat Gupta, a Lucknow University student leader, was killed on July 8, 2000, in Banveerpur village, Tikunia police station area of Lakhimpur Kheri.
Santosh Gupta, the deceased’s father, filed a FIR in which four persons, including Ajay Mishra Teni, were named as suspects.
In addition to Teni, Subhash Mama, Shashi Bhushan, and Rakesh Dalu were charged.
However, based on the evidence, the sessions court acquitted all of the defendants in 2004, and the state government challenged the ruling to the high court.
However, Rajeev Gupta, Prabhat Gupta’s brother, has stated that he would appeal the verdict to the Supreme Court.
