An SHO was charged with murder after a man died in police custody in Lucknow

Last update:October 27, 2024, 22:29 CEST

The exact cause of death will be determined after the autopsy, which will be recorded on video, the officer added.

A representative image of the Uttar Pradesh Police

The police on Sunday filed an FIR on charges of murder and criminal conspiracy against the SHO of Chinhat police station and others after the family of a 30-year-old man who died in police custody alleged that he was beaten to death by police officials. policemen, officials say.

Inspector Ashwani Chaturvedi, station house officer of Chinhat police station, has been suspended with immediate effect “in view of the allegations” and a case registered against him, an official statement said.

The incident sparked a sharp reaction from opposition parties, with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav stating that the “term police custody” should be changed to “torture house”, while senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleged that “BJP has created such a jungle”. . paradise in a state where police have become synonymous with brutality.”

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati described the incident as “highly condemnable” and said the government must take effective steps to ensure justice for the victim’s family.

Mohit Kumar, a resident of Jainabad in Chinhat area, was arrested on Saturday in connection with the case. He died in hospital while in custody, and his family members cited police brutality as the cause of death, police said.

Taking cognizance of the complaint filed by the victim’s mother, the FIR under Section 103 section 1 (punishment for murder) and art. 61 section 2 (criminal conspiracy) of BNS has been registered against Chaturvedi and others, including some unidentified persons, Additional Commissioner of Police Vibhuti Khand Radha Ram Singh told reporters on Sunday.

A detailed investigation into this matter is underway, he added.

The exact cause of death will be determined after the autopsy, which will be recorded on video, the officer added.

A surveillance video appeared on social media, allegedly showing the victim lying in custody. The family members of the deceased accused the police of deliberately releasing only a small part of the footage to save their backs, alleging that Kumar was beaten to death by the policemen.

According to police, Kumar was taken to a local health center after feeling unwell at the police station. From there he was sent to a larger center, where he died, he added.

However, Shobharam, the victim’s brother, who alleged that he too was detained before he was later released, alleged that the police beat up Kumar mercilessly in front of him and sent him to hospital only after his death.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Lucknow Police Commissioner said, “Bharat Kumar has been transferred from Ghazipur Police Station and has been posted as SHO at Chinhat Police Station.” The Lucknow police in a statement also said that “in the light of the charges leveled against him and the cases registered against him, the SHO has been suspended with immediate effect.” “The case has been handed over to SHO Gomtingar Vistar for investigation,” the statement said.

The statement, citing the autopsy report, said: “The cause of death could not be determined, so the viscera was secured for chemical analysis and the heart for histopathological examination.” Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has severely criticized the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over the incident.

“This is the second news of death (read murder) in police custody in the Uttar Pradesh capital in the last 16 days. The government, which is an expert in changing names, should now change the name of “police detention” to “torture facility”. Any request from the victim’s family must be met. We are with them,” Yadav said in a post on X.

Reacting to the incident, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in a post on X in Hindi wrote: “In Lucknow, CA, police detained two youths and one died the next morning. This is the second death in UP police custody in two weeks. The family claims the police murdered their son.” “Uttar Pradesh ranks first in the country in terms of custodial deaths. The BJP has created a jungle paradise in the state where police have become synonymous with brutality. Where law enforcement officers themselves take lives. From whom should society expect justice? – she said.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, in a post on Page X in Hindi, said, “It is natural that the family and people are angry over the alleged death of businessman Mohit Pandey in police custody in Lucknow, the UP capital. This event is condemnable. The government must take effective steps to ensure justice for the victim’s family.” “Besides, the cases of cruelty against women that are happening every day in the country are of great concern and therefore the government should take stringent legal action against such criminals, which is very important,” she said.

Earlier, a 24-year-old man died in police custody after he was arrested during a raid on a gaming parlor in Lucknow.

Though Aman Gautam’s family accused the cops of beating him to death, the police denied the allegations.

According to officials, a police team raided Ambedkar Park in Sector 8 of Vikasnagar city on October 11 night following reports of gambling activities.

“Two persons, including 24-year-old Aman Gautam, have been arrested and booked,” Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Jitendra Kumar Dubey said on October 12.

“While being transported to the police station, Aman’s condition deteriorated and he was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival,” the officer added.

His family claims that Aman died after being beaten by the police.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a news agency feed – PTI)