After 10 Months And High Court Scrutiny 5 Bihar Officials Arrested In Missing Dalit Man Case

He has been missing since. While excise officials have maintained that he escaped from custody, his family has alleged that he was killed in custody, and that evidence was subsequently concealed.

The six have been sent to judicial remand while one has been sent to police custody, Bhojpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Raj confirmed to The Indian Express.

The arrests followed sustained monitoring by the Patna High Court, which was informed Thursday that six suspects had already been arrested and the remaining accused, private driver Surendra Kumar Singh, was being taken into custody the same day.

While hearing the habeas corpus petition filed by Sanoj’s father, Gauri Shankar Ram, a Division Bench of Justice Rajeev Ranjan Prasad and Justice Kumar Manish was informed by the Bhojpur SP that interrogation of the arrested excise personnel had revealed contradictory versions of the incident.

Citing the court’s July 2 order, the SP said Sanoj had been taken into custody with two others. During interrogation, “the Excise Police Officers who have been arrested… have been changing their statements and they are making incongruous and inconsistent statements”, the SP said.

The SP further informed the court that investigators had learnt there was “a scuffle with the victim Sanoj” and that “the private driver who was driving the Excise Police Vehicle had put a towel around his neck and he was being pulled up”.

The SP also said excise officials had cited CCTV footage to support their claim that Sanoj escaped by opening the rear compartment of the vehicle. After briefly viewing the footage, however, the Patna High Court said in its oral observations that the vehicle appeared to be “a Bolero Vehicle which is fully closed from outside” and that “unless the backside gate is opened, it would not be possible to flee away with a jump”.

The HC ordered protection of key witnesses after police said the two others detained with Sanoj were “perhaps afraid of coming out with the truth”. It also recorded the submission of Sanoj’s father, Gauri Shankar Ram, that several people had approached him to “cover up” the case, directed his protection, and asked police to investigate the allegations.

The latest developments follow a series of critical observations by the high court over the past two hearings. On June 30, the Bench recorded that Sanoj had telephoned his father at 6.35 pm and again at 6.43 pm on the day of the raid, informing him that excise officials had detained him. Investigators also found that one of his mobile phones last showed the tower location of the Jagdishpur excise police station, the court said.

The court further noted that excise officers Raj Kumar and Dheeraj Kumar Singh initially claimed several detainees had been released without mentioning Sanoj, and handed over his mobile phone to investigators only the next day. It observed that the phone had not been sent for forensic examination.

The high court expressed dissatisfaction with the probe, saying it was “moving slowly and slowly” and giving an impression that investigators were “only helping the accused persons”. On June 24, the court noted that although seven members of the excise raiding team had emerged as suspects 10 months earlier, they had neither been arrested nor interrogated. It also observed that if the pace of the investigation did not match the seriousness of the allegations, it could consider transferring the probe to an independent agency.

The matter will next be heard on July 7, when Bhojpur police are expected to place further developments before the high court.

Himanshu Harsh is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, currently leading on-the-ground coverage in Bihar. With a reporting career rooted in the complexities of the National Capital Region (NCR), Himanshu specializes in the critical intersection of law, crime, and civic governance. Professional Expertise & Credentials An alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, Himanshu brings a rigorous academic foundation to his investigative work. His expertise is characterized by a "ground-up" reporting style, most notably demonstrated during his extensive coverage of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where he analyzed shifting political landscapes and grassroots sentiment. Specialized Beats Himanshu’s portfolio reflects versatility, allowing him to navigate diverse industries and social issues: Civic & Legal Affairs: Extensive experience covering the Delhi reporting beat, focusing on policy implementation and judicial impact. Automotive Industry: A technical background in reporting on India’s evolving transport and automotive sectors. Social Fabric & Human Interest: Beyond hard news, he is known for exploring the changing social dynamics of India’s urban and rural heartlands, bringing a human-centric lens to systemic issues. Personal Interests & Digital Literacy Outside the newsroom, Himanshu’s deep engagement with technology and gaming informs his understanding of digital trends and the modern information economy. A trained DJ with a passion for music, his diverse personal interests contribute to a well-rounded perspective that resonates across both traditional and digital media platforms. ... Read More