Bhogaon SBI Robbery Case: Court Acquits Accused After 22 Years Due to Weak Police Investigation

After 22 years, the Special Robbery Court of Additional District Judge (ADJ) Jaiprakash has delivered its verdict in the infamous Bhogaon State Bank robbery and triple murder case. The court acquitted three accused due to lack of solid evidence and poor police investigation. One of the accused had already died during the course of the long trial.

This decision has raised serious questions:
Who actually committed the robbery? Who killed the three innocent bank employees? Will justice ever be served?

What Happened in the Bhogaon Bank Robbery Case?

The shocking incident took place on the evening of January 28, 2003. The State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Bhogaon, Mainpuri had closed its gates for the day. However, cashier RK Gupta (from Shikohabad, Firozabad) and accountant MC Agarwal (from Kamalanagar, Agra) were still inside finishing pending work. Along with them was security guard Shivraj Singh, who was on duty till 8 PM.

At exactly 8 PM, another guard, Girish Dubey, came to take over the night shift. He noticed that the bank gate was open. When he walked inside, he was shocked to see a horrifying scene—

• The bodies of RK Gupta, MC Agarwal, and Shivraj Singh were lying inside the bank.
• The bank locker was open.
• Blood was splattered on the floor.
• All three had been shot dead.
• A total of Rs 88.20 lakh in cash was missing.

This was not just a robbery; it was a cold-blooded murder.

What Did the Police Do?

Soon after the incident, security guard Girish Dubey filed a complaint at the Bhogaon police station. Multiple police teams were formed and the case was investigated until 2005. However, the case could not be solved, and the police eventually closed it with a Final Report (FR) on August 6, 2005.

But in 2010, the case took a new turn.

New Arrests and Recovery Claimed by Police in 2010

According to police records, on December 20, 2010, Inspector Haripal of Bhogaon received a tip-off and went to Amheda village. There, he arrested four people:

• Aneek Singh, son of Antaram
• Avdhesh alias Vitu, resident of Chaudhariyan, Bhogaon
• Sahroj Adil, resident of Mohalla Haveli, Bhogaon
• Satish, resident of Amheda, Bhogaon

Police claimed that they recovered Rs 2.90 lakh buried in Aneek Singh’s field. Based on the statement of Avdhesh, they also included Akbar Qureshi, from Mohalla Rasulabad, Bhogaon, as another accused.

Police filed a chargesheet claiming that these men had planned and executed the Bhogaon SBI robbery and that the recovered cash was part of the stolen Rs 88.20 lakh.

What Happened During the Trial?

The case finally moved to court, and charges were officially framed on December 8, 2015. Both the prosecution and defense lawyers presented their arguments and evidence.

However, during the trial, the police failed to present any independent witness—no neutral or common person could confirm the robbery, the murder, or the recovery of the money. The investigation was found to be full of loopholes and inconsistencies.

Due to lack of strong evidence, the court rejected the police’s version of events. The accused were given the benefit of doubt and acquitted.

The Unanswered Questions

Even after two decades, the real culprits behind the Bhogaon SBI robbery and brutal murder of three employees remain unknown.

• Who planned this robbery?
• Who took away Rs 88.20 lakh and killed three innocent bank workers?
• Will the victims and their families ever get justice?

These are questions that still haunt the people of Bhogaon and Mainpuri.

Conclusion

This case highlights how weak investigation and lack of proper evidence collection can result in justice being delayed—and possibly denied. The families of the three murdered employees are still waiting for closure.

Unless a proper re-investigation is carried out, the Bhogaon bank robbery may remain an unsolved mystery forever.