The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has recently granted bail to Babu Khan, one of the convicts in the high-profile murder case of Lucknow-based businessman Shravan Sahu.
The bail was approved on June 24, 2025, on grounds of parity, with the court noting that a co-accused, Ajay Patel, had already been granted bail earlier this year.
Bail Granted Citing Lack Of Prima Facie Evidence
A vacation bench comprising Justice Pankaj Bhatia and Justice Chhitij Shailendra accepted Khan’s bail application, which was filed alongside his appeal challenging the August 2024 verdict by a special CBI court. That court had sentenced Khan to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹1.10 lakh for his alleged involvement in the conspiracy to murder Sahu.
In granting bail, the High Court pointed out that Ajay Patel—another convict in the same case—had been released on bail on April 21, 2025, after the prosecution failed to present prima facie evidence establishing his role in the conspiracy. The court extended similar relief to Khan on the basis of this legal parity.
Chain Of Events Leading To The Murder
The roots of the case date back to October 16, 2013, when Shravan Sahu’s son, Ayush Sahu, had an altercation with Aqeel Ansari, the main accused, over a dispute at a bar in Lucknow’s Hazratganj area. The confrontation turned deadly, and Ayush was killed by Aqeel and his associates. Ansari was later convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for Ayush’s murder.
Shravan Sahu, devastated by the loss, became a key witness in the case and remained committed to securing justice for his son. His persistent legal pursuit made him a target. Fearing a harsher sentence due to Shravan’s testimony, Aqeel allegedly plotted Sahu’s murder from prison.
Murder Of Father Seeking Justice
On February 1, 2017, Shravan was gunned down by two assailants on a motorcycle while he sat at the counter of his oil shop in Bada Chauraha Dalmandi, Lucknow. The attackers fired multiple shots before fleeing the scene. Shravan was taken to a trauma centre but succumbed to his injuries.
His second son, Sunil Sahu, later filed a complaint, naming Aqeel as the mastermind behind both the murders. The case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which led an intensive probe, producing 51 witnesses and over 100 documents during the trial.
Eight individuals were convicted in the CBI court’s 2024 verdict. Babu Khan, now granted bail by the High Court, continues to challenge his conviction as the appeals process unfolds.
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