- By Akansha Pandey
- Wed, 17 Sep 2025 01:15 PM (IST)
- Source:Jagran News Network
In Pipraich, a horrific incident unfolded as cattle smugglers kidnapped and murdered a student named Deepak Gupta on Monday. The tragedy sparked outrage among the villagers, leading to a violent clash with the police.
The Events Unfold
The chaos began when Deepak's cousin, Monu, who was sleeping at a travel agency above his family's furniture shop, noticed a group of 10-12 suspects in two vehicles—a Bolero and a pickup truck—attempting to load cattle and break into the shop. Monu quickly alerted Deepak's father, Durgesh Gupta, who immediately rushed to the scene with his son and brother, Virendra.
As Deepak raised the alarm and chased the smugglers, they retaliated by pelting stones at the family, injuring Durgesh and Virendra. During the scuffle, the smugglers seized Deepak, forced him into their Bolero, and drove off. They later killed him by beating him with rods and sticks before dumping his body on a road in the Gulriha area and fleeing.
Villagers' Retaliation And Police Confrontation
Meanwhile, villagers surrounded the smugglers' second vehicle, the pickup truck, which was loaded with cattle. When the truck got stuck, the smugglers tried to escape on foot. The villagers managed to catch one smuggler, identified as Ajab Hussain from Gopalganj, Bihar, and held him hostage in a temple. They then set the pickup truck on fire.
When Pipraich police arrived to take the captured smuggler into custody, the villagers' anger turned toward them. The family, still unaware of Deepak's fate, demanded that the police prioritize the search for their kidnapped son over the smuggler's arrest. The situation escalated, and at 2:30 am, it was discovered that Deepak had been murdered and his body taken to the mortuary at BRD Medical College.
Upon seeing a photograph of Deepak, the enraged villagers attacked the police who had come to take the smuggler into custody. In the ensuing stone-pelting and scuffle, several officers were injured, including SP North Jitendra Srivastava and Station House Officer Purushottam Singh, who suffered a fractured arm.
Aftermath And Official Response
The commotion continued until Tuesday afternoon. The protesting villagers blocked the Gorakhpur-Pipraich road for five hours, demanding action against the guilty police personnel, a government job, and a compensation of one crore rupees for the family. The situation was eventually calmed after senior officials, including ADG Zone Mutha Ashok Jain, DIG Dr S Channappa, DM Deepak Meena, and SSP Rajkaran Nayyar, arrived and assured the family of justice and the culprits' arrest.
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Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken notice of the incident, assuring strict action against the culprits. The Special Task Force (STF) has been deployed to apprehend the other smugglers. A case of kidnapping and murder has been registered against 12 unidentified individuals. In response to the police's handling of the situation, the SSP has suspended the entire Jungle Dhusar outpost. The captured smuggler, Ajab Hussain, is currently undergoing treatment at BRD Medical College. Five teams have been formed to arrest the other individuals involved in the crime.
The student, who had recently passed his 12th-grade exams and was preparing for the NEET medical entrance exam, was cremated late Tuesday evening after the post-mortem. According to the SSP, whatever demands can be met at the local level will be fulfilled, while the remaining demands will be sent to the administration.