The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday rejected the anticipatory bail pleas of two Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel accused in the custodial death of a man in Gonda and said that although the COVID-19 pandemic had ended, “the plague of custodial deaths” did not appear to have abated.
In cases of custodial death, the burden of proof can and should ordinarily be on the police personnel to rebut the allegations levelled against them… The bench observed, “It appears that although COVID-19 pandemic had run its course but the plague of custodial death does not show any sign of abating.
The case relates to the alleged custodial death of Sanjay Kumar Sonkar, a resident of Kinki village in Gonda. The next morning, his brother was informed that Sonkar’s body was at the mortuary. The prosecution alleged that Sonkar was assaulted while in custody, resulting in his death. Filing appeals, the two accused denied the allegations and claimed they had been falsely implicated. Their counsel relied on the post-mortem report, which recorded bruises and abrasions on the upper thigh and abrasions on both knees, arguing that the injuries were not sufficient to cause death. The state opposed the pleas, stressing the seriousness of the allegations and claiming that the accused were not cooperating with the investigation.
The FIR alleges that on November 4, 2025, RPF personnel took Sonkar with them for questioning. At around 4.30 pm, he was brought to his village for further investigation and was subsequently taken away again.
