The death of a minor boy in police custody in Kashipur, Udham Singh Nagar district on Tuesday night has raised serious questions about how the police treat those in their custody. More so as the 16-year boy was kept in police custody at Katoratal police post for the past three days in connection with an elopement case in contravention of the rules. local police claimed that the boy had hanged himself with a rope in the police lock-up. However, questions are being raised especially by the bereaved family who are also alleging that the police beat the boy to death. Following the custodial death at least three policemen, including the police station in-charge, have been suspended soon after the matter came to the fore. It is learnt that the boy was taken to a local government hospital where he was declared brought dead on Tuesday night.
Soon after the news of the boy’s death spread, the relatives of the deceased along with a group of locals protested at the local hospital where he was taken to. They accused the police of beating him to death while he was in their custody. The police faced difficulty in sending the body for post-mortem. Provincial Armed Constabulary jawans along with additional forces were deployed at the government hospital and in some areas of Kashipur considering the risk of the law and order situation going out of control. Deputy inspector general of police of Kumaon, Ajay Rautela said that the body was buried on Wednesday evening in the presence of heavy police force.
Meanwhile, the autopsy report that came around the same time confirmed the police version of the boy having hanged himself to death. The situation was stated to be tense, though under control.
Police sources said that the minor was being questioned over the elopement case since February 26. They also admitted that he was being kept in police custody for the past three days.
Udham Singh Nagar senior superintendent of police Senthil Akdai Krishna Raj said that Kashipur inspector, Katoratal post in-charge and two police constables were suspended with immediate effect. A case under sections 302/201/342 of Indian Penal Code was registered against Katoratal post in-charge, a constable and girl’s father and brother in the Kashipur police station.
Earlier, a Kajiwala Mohalla (Kashipur) resident had registered a complaint with the police, stating that his daughter who had been missing for some days had been abducted by some persons. It is alleged that the police phoned the boy and called him to the Katoratal police post on February 26. The bereaved family members have alleged that the police beat the boy severely on the night of February 27 in the presence of the father and brother of the missing girl. The father and son were allegedly encouraging the police to beat the boy till he confessed to his ‘crime’. The bereaved family members also alleged that they were told by the police that the Kashipur Kotwal had ordered that the boy should not be released till he said so.
According to the police complaint lodged by the boy’s family, on the night of February 28, when his father and others went with food for the boy they found the police beating him. When they objected, they were purportedly given a stern warning by the police. They alleged that the boy was screaming in agony at the time when the police post in charge took the boy in his vehicle, seeing which the family members also followed the policeman holding the boy. Afterwards, they found the boy’s dead body at the government hospital in Kashipur. A panel of doctors conducted the post mortem for which a relative of the deceased was allowed to remain inside the room as an observer. The procedure was videographed even as a crowed gathered outside the post mortem house.
State inspector general of police (law and order) Deepam Seth said that situation is being monitored also from the police headquarters. “Additional police force has been sent to the place. The situation is now under control. The matter will be thoroughly investigated. We are, however, concerned over the report of the minor being kept in the police lock-up for about four days. Besides, no documentation has been found regarding the case in the police station.
This amounts to violation of the service rules and is also illegal. The guilty police officers and the policemen would not be spared,” he said.