2012 Dalit Trader Assault Case: Ayodhya SC/ST court orders arrest of 10 cops
A special SC/ST court in Ayodhya has issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs) for the arrest of 10 policemen, including the then-station house officer (SHO) Jung Bahadur Singh, in connection with a 2012 case involving the alleged custodial assault and robbery of a Dalit trader, Rajkumar Sonkar.
The court has directed the inspector general (IG) of Ayodhya to ensure the arrest of all accused and produce them before the court on June 20, 2025.
According to the case details, the incident occurred on August 21, 2012, when Rajkumar Sonkar, a local trader, was allegedly detained and assaulted by policemen inside a police station. The victim has claimed that he was forced to provide food items free of cost for a police function. Upon refusal, he was allegedly beaten, and his gold chain and ₹25,000 in cash were taken.
Speaking to reporters, Martand Pratap Singh, counsel for Sonkar, said, 'My client was forcibly taken to the police station, brutally assaulted and looted by the policemen on duty. Despite repeated court orders, no action was taken.'
Sonkar later filed a complaint in the SC/ST court, which has since issued multiple warrants over the years. Despite this, no arrests were carried out. The accused policemen had moved the Allahabad high court seeking relief, but their petition was dismissed, and they were instructed to surrender within three weeks. However, they reportedly ignored the directive.
With no compliance, the SC/ST court has now taken stringent action by issuing fresh NBWs and ordering top-level police authorities to implement the order.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for June 20, 2025.
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