Ambedkarnagar police accused of custodial torture

Lucknow: Three days after a custodial death at Akbarpur police station in Ambedkarnagar district forced a crackdown on cops with eight SWAT team members sent to the lines, another suspect died after being detained in the district’s Tanda police station, 17km off Akbarpur. Allegations of a second successive custodial death has put the district police under scanner.
Chandan, 45, who was accused of bike theft died on Sunday, 48 hours after he was detained by Tanda cops and his family claimed he succumbed to injuries suffered during torture at the police station.
Chandan was detained on suspicion of vehicle theft on March 26 and was let off the same day. He attended a village function on March 27 and died the next day. Police said, the autopsy report did not point to injuries on his body and his viscera was sent for examination to establish cause of death.
Allegations of a second successive custodial death has put the district police under scanner. Talking to TOI, SP, Ambedkarnagar, Alok Priyadarshi, said, “While eight cops were suspended after the lock-up death in Akbarpur, we haven’t found any evidence so far to indict the Tanda police.”
SHO, Tanda, Sanjay Pandey, said, Chandan and few others were being probed for culpable homicide, trespass and bicycle theft. “We picked up Chandan for questioning on March 26 after a bicycle of a murdered villager, Qadir, was found to in his possession. However, Chandan refused to co-operate with police and said he would release the bike only after the panchayat intervenes. We freed him from detention in less than 24 hours and sent him for a medical examination at a government hospital. Thereafter, he went to attend a ‘terahvi’ ceremony and fell ill. On March 28, he died and his kin claimed he was tortured by police,” said Pandey. The autopsy report too showed no injury marks on his body, he added.