# Kurebhar Police Sub-Inspector v. State of U.P.

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## Report card

By judgment dated 12 January 1990 in Criminal Appeal Nos. 111 and 477 of 1979, the Supreme Court of India (Coram: A.M. Ahmadi, M. Fathima Beevi, JJ.) recorded the conviction of 2 police personnel, namely: Rafiuddin Khan (Sub-Inspector); Gauri Shankar Sharma (Head Moharrir).

- Register number: UP 44 CW 0001
- Case reference: Criminal Appeal Nos. 111 and 477 of 1979 / AIR 1990 SC 709; 1990 Supp SCC 656
- Court and date: Supreme Court of India (Coram: A.M. Ahmadi, M. Fathima Beevi, JJ.), 12 January 1990
- Officer(s) at the material time: Rafiuddin Khan (Sub-Inspector); Gauri Shankar Sharma (Head Moharrir)
- Present service status: Not ascertained from the cited sources.
- Provisions invoked: Section 304 Part II of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 330 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 201 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 218 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 161 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 5(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947; Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947
- Finding of the Court (extract): “Death in police custody must be seriously viewed for otherwise we will help take a stride in the direction of police raj. It must be curbed with a heavy hand.” (at para n/a)
- Verdict, sentence and quantum: Conviction entered by Supreme Court. Sentence: imprisonment; maximum substantive term of 7.0 years.
- Present status of the proceedings: No further proceedings are recorded in the cited sources; the judgment is the concluded position shown.
- Source orders: [Judgment / order (primary source)](https://indiankanoon.org/doc/320189/); [Permanent link to this record](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-1990-0001)

**Record:** CW-1990-0001 (compiler id CWC-0338); case UTTARP-001
**Title:** Kurebhar Police Sub-Inspector v. State of U.P.
**Court:** Supreme Court of India; judges: A.M. Ahmadi; M. Fathima Beevi
**Case number / citation:** Criminal Appeal Nos. 111 and 477 of 1979 / AIR 1990 SC 709; 1990 Supp SCC 656
**Judgment:** 1990-01-12 (1990, day precision)
**Incident date:** 1971-10-19 (1971)
**Place:** Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh; city town: Kurebhar; police station or unit: PS Kure Bhar, Sultanpur; force: state_police
**Category:** Violence & unlawful detention
**Sub-category:** custodial death
**Outcome:** Conviction entered by Supreme Court (conviction_by_sc)
**Sections:** IPC 304 Part II; IPC 330; IPC 201; IPC 218; IPC 34; IPC 161; PC Act 1947 s.5(1)(d); PC Act 1947 s.5(2)
**Officers (gated display forms):** Rafiuddin Khan (Sub-Inspector); Gauri Shankar Sharma (Head Moharrir) (2 in record)
**Victims:** Kurebhar man (1 in record)
**Sentence / compensation:** imprisonment; max 7.0 yrs
**Sentence type:** imprisonment (imprisonment)

The judgment of the Supreme Court of India records the following account. A Kurebhar man was arrested from his residence on 19 October 1971 and beaten inside PS Kure Bhar by Sub-Inspector Rafiuddin Khan, sustaining 28 injuries before dying of shock and haemorrhage on 20 October 1971, after which false General Diary entries were posted to cover up the custodial death. The Special Judge, Sultanpur convicted the Sub-Inspector under Sections 304 Part II, 330, 201, 218/34 and 161 IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act, and Head Moharrir Gauri Shankar Sharma under Sections 201 and 218 IPC. The High Court acquitted the Sub-Inspector entirely while confirming the Moharrir with a reduced sentence. The Supreme Court dismissed the Moharrir's appeal and allowed the State's appeal, restoring the Sub-Inspector's conviction and sentence on all counts and directing his surrender, famously observing that death in police custody must be curbed with a heavy hand.

> Death in police custody must be seriously viewed for otherwise we will help take a stride in the direction of police raj. It must be curbed with a heavy hand.

**Sources (1):** [indiankanoon.org](https://indiankanoon.org/doc/320189/)
**Verification:** V2 · Externally reported
**Review:** Solo Staff combined review (one combined attestation) — not yet recorded
**admin category:** brutality
**admin subcategory:** custodial_death
**allegations:** {'category': 'Custodial death', 'primary': True, 'position': 'Material fact supported', 'position_explainer': 'Reliable material supports a specifically documented fact relevant to that allegation, not necessarily the full allegation, causation, intent, unlawfulness, or responsibility.', 'official_finding_relation': 'supports allegation'}
**anonymised:** False
**court quote para:** n/a
**display title redacted:** Kurebhar Police Sub-Inspector v. State of U.P.
**followup history:** {'date': '2026-09-19', 'scope': 'Round-8 full re-verification: published record re-checked against the judgment text (outcome, officers, quote, key facts) plus methodology-compliance pass', 'method': 'skills-guided adversarial re-verification of the published record against the judgment text (reverify/t1-*/adversarial-8.jsonl)', 'result': 'holds', 'corrections_applied': \[\]}
**followup status:** checked
**institutional response:** {'date': '1990-01-12', 'action_type': 'Order issued', 'status': 'Concluded', 'authority': 'Supreme Court of India', 'independence': 'External', 'legal_effect': 'Binding', 'description': 'The Supreme Court of India entered convictions against police personnel in this judgment.', 'disposition': 'Conviction · Supports allegation', 'source': 'AIR 1990 SC 709; 1990 Supp SCC 656', 'recheck': 'Not yet re-checked.'}
**last checked:** 2026-09-19
**link checked per url:** {'url': 'https://indiankanoon.org/doc/320189/', 'link_checked': None}
**retracted:** {"is_retracted": false}
**service:** police
**source assessment:** {"established": null, "basis": null}
**status:** current
**subcategory display:** custodial death
**tier:** Tier A — Externally reported or officially recorded
**tier badge:** Externally reported
**tier history:** Tier A — Externally reported or officially recorded
**verdict:** accept
**verdict note:** Supreme Court restored SI Rafiuddin Khan's conviction (7 years u/s 304-II) for custodial death and dismissed Head Moharrir's appeal.
**verification badge:** V2 · Externally reported
**verification status:** V2
**watch:** babuwatch

Status: Conviction entered by Supreme Court.

[Open CW-1990-0001](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-1990-0001)