Last update:27 October 2024, 22:29 IST

The exact cause of death will be determined following the post-mortem which will be filmed, the officer added.

Representative image of Uttar Pradesh Police

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

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

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

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

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

Taking cognizance of the complaint lodged by the victim’s mother, an FIR was registered against Chaturvedi and others, including unidentified persons, under Sections 103 (1) (Punishment for murder) and 61 (2) (Criminal conspiracy) of NBS. of Vibhuti Khand police Radha Ram Singh told reporters on Sunday.

A detailed investigation is underway, he said.

The exact cause of death will be determined following the post-mortem which will be filmed, the officer added.

A CCTV clip has gone viral on social media showing the victim lying in jail. Family members of the deceased have accused the police of deliberately leaking only a small part of the footage to save their backs, alleging that Kumar was beaten to death by the police.

According to police, Kumar was rushed to a community health center after he felt unwell at the police station. From there he was sent to a larger facility where he died, they said.

However, Shobharam, the victim’s brother who claimed he was also taken into custody before being released later, alleged that the police mercilessly beat Kumar in front of him and sent him to hospital only after he died

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

Quoting the post-mortem report, the statement said: “The cause of death could not be determined, therefore viscera preserved for chemical analysis and heart preserved for histopathological examination.” Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday slammed the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over the incident.

“This is the second news of death (read murder) in police custody in the last 16 days in the Uttar Pradesh capital. The government, which is expert at changing names, should now change the name of “police custody” to “torture house”. Every request of 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 said, “In Lucknow, UP, the police detained two youths and one died the next morning. This is the second death in UP police custody in a span of two weeks. The family claims the police killed their son.” “Uttar Pradesh ranks first in the country in terms of custodial deaths. Where law enforcement officers themselves take lives. From whom should the public expect justice? she said.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati in a post on X in Hindi said, “It is natural for the family and people to be upset over the alleged death of businessman Mohit Pandey in police custody in Lucknow, the capital of UP. This incident is highly condemnable. The government must take effective measures to provide justice to the victim’s family.” “Besides, the incidents of atrocities on women happening every day in the state is a matter of great concern, on which the government should take strict legal action against such criminals, which is very important,” he said. she said.

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

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

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

“Two persons, including Aman Gautam (24), have been detained and taken into custody,” Assistant 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 rushed to a hospital where he was declared dead on arrival,” the officer added.

Aman died due to police beatings, his family claimed.

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