3 GST Officials arrested for Murder of Truck Driver in Kanpur

This is a terrible event involving the death of a truck driver, Balbir Singh, outside the State Goods and Services Tax (SGST) office in Kanpur. According to allegations, SGST officers physically attacked and illegally imprisoned Balbir Singh for three days after his vehicle was seized for potential tax evasion during a check at the GT Road near Geeta Nagar crossing.

During his imprisonment, Balbir Singh told the officials of his younger son’s death by electrocution in Ludhiana and asked permission to attend his son’s burial. Despite his mental anguish and appeals, the officials apparently ignored his plea and locked him to his truck.

On Sunday morning, the truck driver was discovered dead in his vehicle’s cabin. The reason of his death was not immediately obvious in the post-mortem report, and his viscera were retained for further research.

The police responded to a complaint submitted by Balbir Singh’s eldest son, Govind Singh, who travelled from Punjab to report the occurrence. The FIR (First Information Report) was filed against two joint commissioners and one additional commissioner of the SGST, Amit Mohan and Paras Nath, as well as several unidentified department personnel.

It is now up to the police to properly examine the case, acquire evidence, and conduct appropriate investigations to ascertain the circumstances leading up to Balbir Singh’s murder and the activities of the accused SGST employees. The inquiry will very certainly include interviews, evidence examination, and statements from witnesses and persons involved in the crime. Following the conclusion of the inquiry, further legal action will be taken.

This event has alarmed trade associations, who think that holding a motorist who was already in the custody of SGST personnel was unjustified and led to the bad outcome.