Daily News & Analysis
MUMBAI, Nov 16: It’s a strange case of a dead man not only walking, but also living happily with his wife and two children — more than 10 years after the Mumbai police said he was murdered.
It’s also a telling example of how the police and the criminal justice system functions. The four people accused for his “murder” went to jail for four months, and for all these years, they had to come to Mumbai from Uttar Pradesh — month after month — to appear before the session’s court.
The story goes back to January 1996 when Guddu, 22, from Rae Bareilly, falls in love with Prem Lata, a married girl from Ludhiana. They elope to Mumbai and live in Malad. In March 1996, Prem Lata’s husband, Nitu, and his two friends, Jawahar and Dara Singh, come to Mumbai in search of them. They find the couple is staying in Malad. But before they can reach the place, the duo flee to Rae Bareilly. For some reason Guddu leaves Prem Lata and absconds. Prem Lata never hears from Guddu.
In May 1996, a Jogeshwari police team lands in Rae Bareilly and arrests Prem Lata, her husband and his two friends on charges of murdering Guddu. Police tell them that an unidentified body was found near Ismail Yusuf college in Jogeshwari and tests confirmed that it was Guddu’s body.
All four are brought to Mumbai for interrogation. The police are successful in getting their custody, and they spend another three months in judicial custody in Arthur Road Jail. They then get bail and return to Rae Bareilly. But they are ordered to appear before the court once every month. Thus, for the last ten years, all four of them have been coming to Mumbai every month.
Now, the twist in the tale: Last week, Prem Lata’s husband, Nitu, learnt that Guddu was alive and staying in Baradari, near Rae Bareilly. He has a wife and two children and also has a zari business. The Baradari police was immediately informed. They arrested Guddu and the Mumbai court was informed. The court immediately ordered for Guddu to be brought to Mumbai.
Guddu was brought to Mumbai on Wednesday and produced before the court. “The Mumbai police are to be blamed for the whole incident. Their shoddy work has spoiled the lives of four people. This is atrocious,” police sub-inspector Ganpat Singh from Baradari police station, said. “It is a shame on Mumbai police. They spoiled four lives, made them go through hell for something they had not done. They even misled the judiciary,” Rajkumar Bharuka, advocate of the four, said.
The court has sent Guddu in judicial custody for a day and, on Thursday, the court is likely to pass an order for an inquiry in to the episode. “Many people will come under the scanner. The policemen, witnesses, people who certified that the body was that of Guddu,” Baruka said.
Senior inspector of Jogeshwari police station, Sayyed Nizammudin, refused to comment. “The matter is subjudice; therefore, I cannot talk about it,” he said. One thing which a lot of people would want to know is, if not Guddu, who was the dead man?