The Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday arrested another accused in connection with the brutal killing of 19-year-old NEET aspirant Deepak Gupta in Gorakhpur’s Mauachapi Village. The accused, Rahim, was injured in a police encounter during a joint operation carried out by teams from Gorakhpur and Kushinagar districts. His arrest has increased the total number of people caught in this case to four, while two others are still on the run.
According to Gorakhpur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Raj Karan Nayyar, the encounter took place when the police intensified their search operations. “Rahim, an accused in the Gorakhpur incident, was injured in a police encounter during a joint operation between Gorakhpur’s Pipraich police and Kushinagar. After this, he was arrested. A total of four accused have been arrested so far,” he said. Nayyar further explained that another accused, Ajab Hussain, was captured by villagers and admitted to a hospital with injuries. Two others, identified as Chhotu and Raju, were also arrested earlier. However, two more accused are still absconding, and a large-scale manhunt has been launched to track them down.
The police have assured that the investigation will be completed at the earliest and strict action will be taken against all the accused.
To monitor the situation closely, Additional Director General (ADG) of Law and Order, Amitabh Yash, reached Gorakhpur late on Tuesday. He first visited the crime spot at Jungle Dhooshan Chauraha and met with the family of the deceased. He assured them that justice would be delivered and promised strict punishment for all those involved. He also said a detailed report of the incident would be submitted to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Later, ADG Yash held a high-level meeting at the Circuit House with senior police officers, including the district magistrate and SSP. During this meeting, he instructed officials to take the “toughest possible action” against the accused, making it clear that the state government wanted no leniency in such a serious case.
Police officials present at the meeting said that all efforts are being made to arrest the remaining accused at the earliest. Special teams have been formed, and raids are being carried out in different areas to trace those absconding.
The shocking incident took place in the early hours of Monday, around 12:30 am. According to reports, three vehicles carrying suspected animal smugglers entered Mauachapi Village. They began untying cattle tied near villagers’ homes. As soon as the villagers raised an alarm, the smugglers attempted to flee.
Deepak Gupta, a 19-year-old student preparing for the NEET exam, also ran after them while shouting. The smugglers then caught hold of him, forcibly put him inside a DCM vehicle, and drove away. For about an hour, they kept driving with him before throwing him out of the moving vehicle. Deepak suffered severe injuries, which led to his death.
Later, the smugglers carried his body around 4 kilometers away from his home and dumped it there. His family and villagers discovered the body, which caused widespread anger and sorrow in the community. The police were informed, and soon after, multiple teams were formed to catch those responsible.
The murder of a young student, who had a promising future, has deeply disturbed the local population. People have demanded strict punishment for the culprits and stronger measures against cattle smuggling in the region.
Meanwhile, the case has also turned political, with opposition parties questioning the government’s approach. Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav strongly criticized the ruling BJP over the encounter.
“When an official went from Lucknow to Gorakhpur yesterday, the encounter was already decided. Law and order won’t improve through encounters,” Yadav said. He accused the government of mismanaging law and order and claimed that assigning police stations based on caste preferences was a reason behind the deteriorating situation.
He also alleged that encounters were being used as a cover-up for failures in governance. “They conduct encounters to hide their failures. Encounters are just a show,” he said.
Akhilesh Yadav further attacked the BJP on the issue of cow smuggling. He said the party had come to power claiming to stop smuggling, but in reality, the situation had worsened. According to him, beef exports have “increased” since the BJP took charge, showing a mismatch between their promises and ground reality.
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The police continue to search for the two absconding accused, with multiple teams working across Gorakhpur and nearby districts. Senior officials have assured the victim’s family that the culprits will not escape justice. The case has also brought renewed focus on the challenges of tackling animal smuggling and the violence associated with it.
As the investigation proceeds, the victim’s family and local residents are hoping for swift justice. For many, the tragic death of Deepak Gupta is not just a case of criminal violence but also a reminder of the law and order challenges in the state.
The coming days will determine whether the police can successfully bring all the accused to justice and restore confidence among the people.
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