Should Gorakhpur Family Demand Encounter After NEET Aspirant's Death?

Gorakhpur, Sep 18 (NationPress) The family of 19-year-old NEET aspirant Deepak Gupta, who was reportedly murdered by cattle smugglers in Gorakhpur, has called for immediate and severe police action, insisting on an 'encounter' with the suspects. On September 17, Gorakhpur police apprehended the main suspect, Rahim Khan, during an encounter in which he was injured. Khan is currently hospitalized, and authorities reported the recovery of a pistol and a motorcycle from him.

Officials have identified multiple suspects in the case and are offering rewards for those who remain at large, with five specialized teams conducting raids for their capture.

Despite the arrest, the grieving family expressed dissatisfaction with what they perceive as delayed police efforts and are demanding more rigorous actions. They insist that the remaining suspects be taken into custody without delay.

Speaking to IANS, Deepak's mother voiced her demand for the utmost punishment for the accused, stating, “We want them to die in the same way they killed our child. We want justice for the innocent child from the Chief Minister. We want a police encounter of the accused. We demand a proper investigation into the matter. If this does not happen, we will stage an indefinite protest in front of the police station and Gorakhnath Temple.”

An uncle of the deceased recounted the tragic event, accusing the smugglers of attacking the family when Deepak tried to intervene.

“They took our child with them when he tried to stop the smugglers. They then killed him. There were 6-7 people in one vehicle and some others in another one. They have killed our child, and now, we demand appropriate justice. We want an encounter,” he told IANS.

The uncle further added that he was present during the attack and faced threats at gunpoint but managed to survive. He and other family members expressed frustration at the slow response from the authorities and urged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to visit and guarantee swift action.

“He was just 19 years old, and we lost him. We are not at all happy with this action, and we demand that CM Yogi visit us and assure us that strict action will be taken against the accused. It has been four days since the incident, but till now he has not come to our house. We want the accused to die in the same way our child was killed,” he stated.

Police have not disclosed further operational specifics as raids are ongoing to locate the remaining suspects and investigations are underway.