Allahabad High Court Finds Prima Facie Involvement Of Senior Cops In Kanpur Hotel Looting, Vandalism; Summons Police Commissioner
| The Court found the investigating officer's affidavit unsatisfactory and directed that DGP be apprised of its order.
The Allahabad High Court has directed the Kanpur Nagar Commissioner of Police, Raghubir Lal, to appear personally before the HC with an affidavit in connection with an alleged incident of looting and vandalism at a hotel in the city.
The Court sought his personal appearance after it prima facie found involvement of senior police personnel in the incident.
A Bench of Justice Ajay Bhanot and Justice Divesh Chandra Samant said the investigation now warrants direct supervision by the district's highest police official.
The Court passed the order after finding the affidavit filed on behalf of the investigating officer unsatisfactory and highlighting the deficient nature of the investigation.
The order was passed on October 24 in a writ petition filed by hotel owner Preeti Bajpai, who approached the HC seeking a fair investigation into the alleged incident
The case concerns allegations that in November last year, some persons brought a JCB to Hotel Negi Grand, demolished a wall and subsequently vandalized and looted the premises.
According to the petitioner, videos of the incident surfaced, but police did not initially register an FIR. Senior police authorities intervened, and a case was subsequently registered at Rawatpur Police Station.
She alleged that a senior police official, Kapil Dev Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kanpur Nagar, was directly involved in the incident.
The Bench also referred to a case diary entry dated April 16, 2026, which recorded the alleged complicity of police authorities in the looting.
The case diary extract stated that CCTV footage and videos recorded by members of the public showed a JCB demolishing a wall of Hotel Negi Grand, while several people were present at the spot.
It further recorded that the hotel's windows, doors, cupboards, television, CCTV cameras and DVR were allegedly damaged and that articles were looted from the premises. The extract also referred to the presence and movement of police personnel during the incident.
Finding the investigating officer's affidavit unsatisfactory, the Court said that the matter required urgent attention at the highest level of police authorities. Therefore, the SP was summoned.
The Court also directed that a copy of its order be sent to the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow.
The matter has been listed for November 26.