The Uttar Pradesh Police arrested Talib and Sarfaraz following an encounter in Bahraich on Thursday, October 17, 2024. During the confrontation, both suspects were shot in the legs after they attacked the police while attempting to flee to Nepal. These arrests bring the total number of individuals detained in connection with the murder of Ram Gopal Mishra, which occurred on Sunday, October 13, to five. Authorities have announced that the accused will face charges under the National Security Act (NSA). However, Ram Gopal’s family and villagers remain dissatisfied with the police’s actions.
The police have been conducting raids to apprehend both known and unknown suspects in the case. Talib and Sarfaraz were among those captured. They fired at the police, prompting officers to return fire, injuring them in their respective legs. A viral video shows the two suspects groaning in pain and apologizing to the police, while another clip shows them being dragged by officers after the encounter.
मैं ये नही चाहता था गोली गलत जगह लगी।😡 pic.twitter.com/kVthZbIwnV
— Aditya bajirao Mishra (@aditya_pandit08) October 17, 2024
Both suspects repeatedly can be heard saying to the police, “We won’t make this mistake again.” The police eventually moved the duo in a government vehicle and transported them to the hospital for treatment. A separate FIR has been registered against Talib and Sarfaraz launching an attack on the police, with charges including attempted murder. Bahraich Superintendent of Police Vrinda Shukla stated that a total of five accused have been arrested, and all will face action under the National Security Act (NSA).
Bahraich SP Vrinda Shukla confirms that both terrorists involved in Gopal Mishra murder in #BahraichViolence Sarfaraz and Talib are injured not dead after an #encounter with UP Police in Indo – Nepal border. Let's hope they get 72 hoori-fied soon. #Bahraich #BahraichVoilence pic.twitter.com/poarsCdIbw
— Ganesh (@me_ganesh14) October 17, 2024
Mishra’s family says ‘unsatisfied’ with police action
Following the encounter of Talib and Sarfaraz and the arrest of five suspects, Ram Gopal’s family has expressed dissatisfaction with the police’s actions. On Thursday, October 17, 2024, Ram Gopal’s widow, Roli Mishra, released a video in which she accused the police of taking bribes and disregarding her demands. In the video, Roli stated, “They may have been caught, but they haven’t been killed. We’ve only been shown that they were shot in the leg.”
गोपाल मेरा छोटा भाई था उनकी धर्मपत्नी की बातों को प्रशासन ध्यान से सुने उनकी मांग तब भी वही थी अब भी वही है।@adityakafir@ajeetbharti @STVRahul @anninya_ @vanarsenaa @BhumiharSagar_ pic.twitter.com/ynpT0YW6ot
— Aditya bajirao Mishra (@aditya_pandit08) October 18, 2024
Such encounter records no justice to Mishra’s family
After the encounter, OpIndia’s team visited Ram Gopal Mishra’s village, Rehua, on Thursday, October 17th. Police vehicles were patrolling the village with hooters blaring, and police along with PAC personnel were stationed around Ram Gopal’s house. No one was allowed to enter or leave the house, including media personnel who were prevented from speaking to the family. Ram Gopal’s brother, Harimilan, and family member Rahul Mishra informed us over the phone that even they were not allowed to move freely due to the police presence.
Speaking with villagers near Ram Gopal’s home, team OpIndia learned that several were unhappy with the police action as the accused were shot in the legs and were not killed instead. Ram Gopal’s cousin, Kishan Mishra, expressed frustration, saying that given the brutal nature of his brother’s murder, simply shooting the suspects in the leg and arresting them did not feel like justice. He said, “This used to happen before, but not under Yogi’s government.” Kishan believes that Sarfaraz and his family will live comfortably in jail, only to be released soon, enjoying privileges like eating biryani while incarcerated.
Around 3 pm, news quickly spread in and around Mahsi that the police had encountered the murderers of Ram Gopal Mishra. Following this, people across Bahraich tuned in to watch the breaking news on TV. In Bahraich city and areas like Mahsi, Hardi, and Nathurpurwa, we observed people closely following the updates on their TVs at home and in shops. Initially, many believed that Sarfaraz had been killed in the encounter, but this later proved to be false. Currently, the district is abuzz with discussions about the incident.
