Allahabad High Court Rejects Sixth Bail Plea of Police Officer Accused in Bikru Massacre Conspiracy
By Rajesh Pandey
The Allahabad High Court has, for the sixth time, refused to grant bail to KK Sharma alias Krishna Kumar Sharma, a sub-inspector and police outpost in-charge, accused of playing a key role in the Bikru massacre case of 2020.
Sharma is alleged to have tipped off notorious gangster Vikas Dubey about an impending police raid at his hideout in Bikru village, Kanpur, on the night of July 2–3, 2020.
This alleged leak enabled Dubey and his associates to set up a deadly ambush in which eight policemen were brutally killed, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police, three sub-inspectors, and four constables.
Background: The Bikru Massacre and Aftermath
The Bikru incident shocked the nation and exposed the deep nexus between criminal gangs and some members of law enforcement. The police team had gone to arrest Vikas Dubey in connection with a murder case, but instead walked into a trap laid with automatic weapons and explosives.
A week later, on July 10, 2020, Vikas Dubey was killed in controversial circumstances while being transported from Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, to Kanpur. According to the police, Dubey attempted to escape after the police convoy met with an accident, leading to his death in an encounter.
Following the massacre, a criminal case was registered against Sharma and Vinay Kumar Tiwari, then Station House Officer of Chaubepur police station, for alleged criminal conspiracy and collusion with Dubey. Investigators alleged that both officers had prior links with the gangster and compromised the raid’s secrecy.
Bail History and Current Plea
Sharma has been in judicial custody for nearly five years and has sought bail on multiple occasions. His fifth bail application was rejected by the High Court on May 12, 2025, though the court permitted him to file a fresh application after a reasonable time.
Despite this, Sharma filed his sixth bail application on July 8, 2025, just two months after the last rejection.
His primary argument this time was that his co-accused, Vinay Kumar Tiwari—whose first bail plea had also been rejected alongside Sharma’s on September 21, 2021—was recently granted bail on June 16, 2025, primarily due to prolonged incarceration.
Representing Sharma, counsel Prashant Mishra argued that the applicant was a recruit in the police force and had been implicated in the case within just two to three weeks of his appointment. He emphasized Sharma’s long detention of nearly five years without trial.
State’s Opposition
Opposing the plea, Additional Government Advocate Vikas Sahai contended that the sixth bail application was filed prematurely—within a short span of two months—without any substantial new grounds. He argued that the co-accused’s bail order could not, by itself, justify an early reconsideration.
Court’s Reasoning and Order
Justice Saurabh Shyam Shamshery rejected the sixth bail plea, noting: The applicant has approached this court within two months after his fifth bail application was rejected, which is not a reasonable period since while rejecting the fifth bail application, this court had granted liberty to the applicant to approach this court after a reasonable period.”
The judge further observed: A subsequent event that co-accused, Vinay Kumar Tiwari, has recently been granted bail cannot be considered at this stage since the applicant has rushed this court within a short period after his fifth bail application was rejected.”
In its order dated August 11, 2025, the High Court directed that Sharma may approach the court only after six months from today, and any future bail application must be filed along with an updated status report of the trial.
This decision ensures that the bail process is not misused through repeated and hasty filings, while also leaving open the possibility for reconsideration after a reasonable lapse of time.
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