For Nathu, it was a case of justice delayed, but not denied. After 20 long years, a Chitrakoot court on Tuesday sentenced eight policemen, including two sub-inspectors, for driving his brother Chuna to suicide in police custody.

While the sub-inspectors were given 10 years rigorous imprisonment, six constables got five years in prison. A fine of Rs 15,000 each was slapped on the two sub-inspectors and Rs 8,000 on each of the constables.

District government counsel Subhash Chandra Dwivedi said judge Anand Prakash had directed that an assistance of Rs 50,000 be provided to the next of kin of the deceased. “The money will be collected from the fine imposed on the accused,” he said.

The convicts were sub-inspectors Subhash Chandra Tripathi and Ram Naresh Yadav, constables Satya Prakash, Shiv Kumar, Bacchhe Lal, Shiv Raj, Chand Prakash and driver Om Prakash.

Except Bacche Lal, all others were on duty at the time of incident, which took place at Raipura police station on September 8, 1989. All the eight convicted policemen have been sent to Banda District Jail.

Chuna was a security guard at a cooperative society. When he did not return home one evening, his family members contacted the police. “They told my mother that Chuna had been brought to the police station for questioning and they would release him soon. After two days, when police did not release him, we again went to the police station,” said Nathu.

It turned out that the police were looking for a dacoit named Guddan Nai. “Since Guddan was our relative, the police picked up Chuna, thinking he could provide them with information on Guddan,” Nathu said.

Twelve days later, the police team told Chuna’s family that he had committed suicide by hanging from the rope of a well located inside the Raipura police station. Despite protests by locals, the police registered a case of suicide.

Chuna’s mother Ram Kumari then took up the matter with the district administration. It was then that a case of murder was lodged against Raipura police station in-charge Subhash Chandra Tripathi and others.