In a major respite to Union minister of state for Home Ajay Mishra Teni, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has dismissed an Utter Pradesh government’s appeal against the acquittal of the Union Minister in the Prabhat Gupta murder case in the year 2000.
The high court has also upheld the acquittal of Ajay Mishra Teni by the sessions court.
A double bench of Justice AR Masoodi and O P Shukla delivered the verdict on Friday acquitting four accused, including Ajay Mishra Teni, in the 23-year-old murder case.
Prabhat Gupta, a student leader of Lucknow University, was murdered on July 8, 2000, in Banveerpur village under Tikunia police station area of Lakhimpur Kheri. Santosh Gupta, father of deceased had lodged an FIR in which four people including Ajay Mishra Teni were made accused of in the case.
Apart from Teni, Subhash Mama, Shashi Bhushan and Rakesh Dalu were made accused. But on the basis of evidence, all the accused were acquitted in 2004 by the sessions court after which the state government appealed against the order in the high court.
However, Prabhat Gupta’s brother, Rajeev Gupta, said he will challenge the decision in the Supreme Court.