POLICE IN Haryana’s Nuh have registered a case against “11-12 police personnel” from Faridabad in the death of a 24-year-old man, Junaid, following a complaint from his family that he had succumbed to injuries inflicted while in their custody.
According to Nuh Police, the FIR has been registered on the complaint submitted by Junaid’s mother, Khatija, at the Bicchor police station in the district.
“An FIR has been registered under IPC sections 302 (murder), 342 (wrongful confinement), and 34 (common intention) against seven police personnel by name and 4-5 unnamed others,” said Narendra Bijarniya, Nuh SP.
The personnel named in the FIR are Sub Inspector Rajesh, Sub Inspector Surjeet, Head Constable Naresh, Head Constable Dalbir, Assistant Sub Inspector Narendra, Assistant Sub Inspector Javed and Station House Officer Basant, all from the cyber station in Faridabad.
While Junaid’s relatives alleged that he was wrongly picked up on May 31 and tortured in custody, Faridabad Police denied the allegations and linked the death to a kidney ailment.
According to Faridabad Police, they had taken Junaid, along with five others, into custody in connection with a case registered in September last year regarding an incident of financial fraud of Rs 80,000.
“Investigating the matter, on May 31, six people had been taken for questioning, of whom one, Shahid, was found to be an accused and was arrested. The other five, including Junaid, who was suffering from kidney disease, were released the same night,” said Sube Singh, PRO of Faridabad Police. Police said that on the basis of information provided by Shahid, as well as “technical evidence”, three others, including Junaid’s two brothers, were arrested. “Cyber Police did not torture any person or keep anyone in illegal custody. The allegation that Junaid was kept in custody illegally and tortured, leading to his death, is completely false and baseless,” said the PRO.
In her complaint to police, Junaid’s mother said he was on his way back from a wedding in Rajasthan around 6 pm on May 31, along with five others, when “10-12” police personnel from Faridabad Cyber Police Station in three cars intercepted them.
She alleged that they took Junaid and his companions to the station, from where he was released the next day after his family paid Rs 70,000 to the police personnel. Junaid’s companions, she alleged, were also released after payment of similar amounts.
Her complaint also alleged that Junaid and his companions had injury marks when they were released, and that police personnel made Junaid and his brother, Irsad, who had gone to get him released, “sign many blank papers”.
The SHO threatened Junaid that if he took any action against police or got his “medical…done”, he would “put the entire family in the same condition as Junaid”, the complaint alleged.
When Junaid returned home, his mother alleged, he confided that he had been beaten on his legs and all over his body. She stated that the family consulted a local doctor but Junaid’s condition kept deteriorating. On June 11, he was taken to the CHC in Punhana where his medical test was done, following which his family was trying to take him to a bigger facility in Hodal because his condition was deteriorating further, the complaint states.
“Before reaching the hospital, because of the injuries on his body which had been inflicted by Faridabad Police, Junaid died,” the complaint stated. Officials from Nuh Police said no injuries were found in the post mortem.
Following Junaid’s death, residents of the area had staged a protest Saturday, which culminated in violence for which eight people have since been arrested.