In 1995, the Uttar Pradesh Police’s Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) recommended registering an FIR against 18 police officers accused of framing 12 men in a Kanpur dacoity case after arresting them in a “fake” encounter . The agency had been tasked by the state government to probe the allegations following a complaint by the relative of one of the men.

For over three decades, nothing happened.

On October 16, a case was finally lodged against 12 policemen — 10 of whom have retired — at Maharajpur police station on a complaint by CB-CID Inspector Sushil Kumar under IPC sections relating to fabricating evidence, making false charges, wrongful confinement and causing hurt.…