UP: Girl jumps off moving train near Lalitpur to escape police custody, dies

LUCKNOW: A police sub-inspector and two constables were on Monday suspended for dereliction of duty leading to the death of an 18-year-old girl who jumped off a moving train with her 27-year-old male companion to escape police custody.
The couple from Sant Kabir Nagar had allegedly eloped in December 2020. They were traced in Thane (Maharashtra) and were being brought back to their native district by a police team on September 10.
Finding that the cops had fallen asleep, the couple decided to jump off the train near Lalitpur district. The cops came to know about the incident when they woke up in Jhansi.
Both of them sustained grievous injuries and the girl succumbed on September 11.
Police said the man had two children from his first marriage and after his wife's death, he developed an affair with the girl and the couple moved to Thane with the children.
Superintendent of police, Sant Kabir Nagar, Kaustubh, told TOI that the circle officer of Ghanghata has been directed to probe the incident.
Preliminary investigations revealed that three policemen, including sub-inspector Amit Chaturvedi and two constables, were entrusted with the responsibility of bringing back the couple.
“After the incident came to light, a GRP unit recovered them and admitted them to a local hospital where the girl was declared dead. Her male companion was severely injured and was shifted to Jhansi district hospital,” said SHO, Kotwali, Anil Kumar.
Cops said the girl’s mother had also gone to Pune with the police team to bring her daughter back. After the post-mortem examination, the girl’s parents performed her last rites.
“We are waiting for the man to gain consciousness after which his statement will be recorded,” the SHO said.