A high level enquiry has been ordered in connection with brutality and torture by Etah police which led to death of a murder suspect in Etah. The victim died here at Trauma Centre of King Georges Medical University in the wee hours of Friday. Surprisingly, the local officers who claimed to have taken cognizance by ordering a separate probe into the matter so far took no action against the cops.
Reports said that one Manik Chandra, a native of Isauli hamlet of Sakrauli in Etah went to his in-laws house at Sareni hamlet of Awagarh also in the same district to brought his wife Savitri back home on April 7 last. When he not returned home, his uncle Gangaram suspected foul play and launched a search for his nephew. On April 9, the local police recovered a body of Manik Chandra lying in the canal so they flashed the message and later the victim was identified. Gangaram, who maintain Manik Chandra’s identity lodged a report against his nephew’s inlaws which included Saheb Singh (father-in-law), Savitri Devi (wife), Sunheri lal, Prem Pal and local village pradhan, Manveer Singh alleging that they all conspired to harass the victim following which he probably committed suicide. The local police registered a case of suicide and started probe.
The matter took a turn on April 24 when during interrogation, Devendra Shankar Pandey, incharge of the local Awagarh police Station, picked up Manik Chandra’s brother Mahesh, his brother-in-law Chobh Singh and two local villagers Balbir Singh and Chobh Singh and booked them for orchestrating the killing of Manik Chandra. The cops alleged that Manik Chandra was having illicit relations with his brother Mahesh’s wife hence they orchestrated his killing.
Reports said that to make the accused confessed of the crime, the local police used third degrees measures in which besides torturing them they also reportedly injected acid and petrol in their private parts. Finally they shown all the four arrested and send them to Etah Jail. However, soon after being lodged, the condition of all the four accused deteriorated so they were taken to hospital by the jail authorities. The doctors confirmed that since the victims were injected petrol and acid so their condition turn critical. They even referred Balbir to Medical College in Agra but when the poison spread to the entire body, doctors send the victim to Trauma Centre here at KGMC but finally Balbir succumbed to police torture.
Reports also confirmed that the family members of the victim in the meantime informed the incident to State Human Rights Commission who constituted a probe and also found the charges prima facie true. DIG Aligarh Range, Prakash D, who learnt of the probe by SHRC also said to have ordered a separate enquiry by circle officer of Jalesar, Vijay Kapil. He claimed that if the probe found the cops guilty than they will get a case registered against them in the matter and took further legal action.