6 years on, murder accused serving in UP govt convicted

6 years on, murder accused serving in UP govt convicted

Arindam Ghosh & Pathikrit Chakraborty TNN 

Lucknow : A murderer successfully concealed his dark secrets and served in UP irrigation department for six years in what clearly puts a question mark on the process of stringent police verification for a govt job. The man in his mid-30s had spent four months in jail in 2013 after being charged with a murder that year. Police even recovered the murder weapon following his confession. But he kept all that under wraps till Aug 14 this year, when he was re-arrested after a Jhansi court sentenced him to life in the case. 

Anoop Dubey had secured the job in 2018 on compassionate grounds after the death of his father, chief engineer Mithlesh Dubey. On August 13, 2024, Anoop visited his office in Jhansi and applied for a day’s leave. The next day, the court convicted him and three others in the murder case. When the senior assistant failed to return to work, the dept initiated an enquiry, leading to the discovery of his criminal antecedents and subsequent conviction. 

“An investigation is underway to find out how Anoop was issued a character certificate, given that the murder case against him was filed in May 2013, years before his appointment in 2018,” dept’s superintending engineer Ashok Kumar told TOI. He added that the dept had sent a letter to district govt counsel to confirm the details of Anoop’s conviction and also informed Mahoba irrigation division, where Anoop was originally appointed. 

In 2013, Lakhan Singh Tomar from Nainagarh filed a police complaint after his son, Devendra, left home on May 14 and did not return. On May 16, Lakhan learned that Devendra had been drinking with Anoop Dubey, Gaurav Jha, Kapil Sharma, and Akash near Jhansi’s Babina, police said. When Lakhan confronted them, they admitted to murdering Devendra over his “arrogant behaviour.” They said they had lured Devendra to Babina under the pretext of a picnic, shot him dead, and burned his body. They even threatened to kill Lakhan if he went to police.