A special NIA court has convicted 28 people in connection with the murder of Chandan Gupta, who was killed in a communal clash during the 2018 Tiranga Yatra in Kasganj.

Vivekanand Sharan Tripathi, the special judge, stated that the sentence will be announced on Friday. Charges of murder, attempted murder, rioting and insulting the national flag led to the accused's conviction on Thursday. The case gained significant attention as Chandan Gupta's death led to riots in the area. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) court also cleared Nasiruddin and Asim Qureshi of charges, stating there wasn't enough evidence to convict them.

Chandan Gupta and his brother Vivek Gupta participated in a Tiranga Yatra early on January 26, 2018. A group comprising Salim, Wasim and Naseem allegedly blocked the road and halted the procession when it approached the Government Girls Inter College entrance on Tehsil Road, according to a government counsel. When Chandan objected, the situation worsened, and the accused started throwing stones, the lawyer explained. Salim, one of the main accused, shot Chandan, leaving him seriously injured. Despite the critical injury, Vivek and his companions managed to take Chandan to the Kasganj police station. From there, he was immediately sent to the district hospital, but he was declared dead shortly after arriving. The murder of Chandan sparked three days of riots in Kasganj, intensifying communal tensions in the area. Chandan's father, Sushil Gupta, filed a complaint about his son's murder.

In September 2019, the Kasganj Sessions Court charged 23 people in connection with the case. Later, in November 2019, charges were also brought against seven more individuals. Sections 147, 148, 307/149, 302/149, attempted murder, 341 (wrongful restraint), 336 (endangerment), 504 (intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation), and Section 124K (insult to national flag) of the Indian Penal Code were among the allegations. A few of the defendants were also charged with gun possession under the Arms Act. The trial, which started in Kasganj, was later moved to a court in Lucknow.

After the conviction on Thursday, Chandan's parents expressed their trust in the judicial process. "We trust the court completely and will accept whatever verdict is given," said Sushil Gupta, Chandan's father. However, he also shared his disappointment about not receiving any support from political leaders. He claimed that none of the promises made by BJP officials, such as building a square in Chandan's name and giving a member of his family a government post, have been kept. "My son is getting justice from the court, but the government leaders have failed to deliver on their promises," Sushil Gupta added. Out of the 28 convicted individuals, 26 were present in court. One of them, Munajir Rafi, joined the proceedings via video conferencing from jail. The court issued an arrest warrant for Salim, who was absent.

After the verdict, all the convicted individuals were placed in judicial custody and sent to jail. Salim, Wasim, Naseem, Mohsin, Rahat, Bablu and Salman were also convicted under the Arms Act for carrying weapons during the incident. Government lawyers MK Singh and LK Dixit led the prosecution, which presented 18 witnesses during the trial, while the defence brought in 23 witnesses.