Family of Hathras man who died in police custody seeks CBI probe, urges CM Adityanath to intervene

“On Monday night, a police team came to our village following a clash. They detained my father and a member of the rival faction. An hour later, the other man returned home, but my father was not released,” said Sakshi Chauhan, the 19-year-old daughter of Rajkumar Alias Raju Chauhan.

“Later, we were told that our father was being taken to a hospital as his condition worsened. We rushed to the hospital where the doctor told policemen in our presence that his condition was not well and cannot be discharged. But the policemen forcibly took our father to Chandpa police station. Around 5 am on Tuesday, we were told that he has died. We went back to the Chandpa police station and saw the body that bore several injury marks,” said 18-year-old Manvendra Chauhan.

The family alleged that Chauhan was killed by the policemen at the behest of Udaybhan Singh with whom the family has a decade-old rivalry over a 50-bigha farm plot.

“My husband was killed by police, who tortured him,” said Chauhan’s wife.

Meanwhile, Udaybhan Singh, 46, refuted the charges. “It was a minor scuffle between me and Chauhan over urinating at a particular place on Monday night. But his family members soon turned violent and pelted stones and opened fire in the air… I am ready to face any inquiry,” he said.

Quoting the post-mortem report, police said that Chauhan died of cardiac arrest. “In this case, there is no police involvement… We have deployed an adequate police force in the village to ensure that no violence could take place,” Girish Kumar Gautam, the new in-charge of the Chandpa police station told The Indian Express.

Police said they have not arrested anyone so far.

Three FIRs have been registered, which include the attempt to murder charge against two policemen.

Chauhan’s family said that a large number of HJM members were scheduled to assemble in the village on Friday. “We will decide our future course of action. We will not sit idle till the killers of my father are punished. This will be possible only if a CBI probe is recommended, “said Chauhan’s daughter.