2 prison guards suspended for abusing jailed assailants of Bhim Army chief Aazad

“I am in Lucknow for a departmental meeting right now and have ordered an inquiry into the incident. The two prison guards Naresh and Karmveer have been suspended. An initial inquiry by the jailor in Saharanpur prison has revealed that the guards have threatened the four and had not beaten them. The inquiry will cover every point in allegations by their family members,” Amita Dubey, Senior Superintendent, Saharanpur prison, told The Indian Express.

The assailants, upset by the statements of Aazad, had fired three shots on the SUV of the Dalit leader at Saharanpur’s Deoband town on June 28. The Bhim Army chief was also hit by a bullet and was admitted to the hospital.

The four accused – Vikas, Prashant, Lovish and Vikas alias Vicky – were arrested from near a dhaba in Haryana’s Ambala district on July 2 and since then they have been lodged at Saharanpur jail.

Shashi Bala Pundir, former BJP MLA from Gangoh in Saharanpur, has also sent a letter in this connection to the UP Prisons Director General demanding action on the “serious issue”. The four accused should undergo a medical test to ascertain their injury and then legal action be initiated against the prison guards, said Pundir.

Out of the four accused, three –Vikas, Prashant and Lovish – are residents of Saharanpur while Vicky is a Haryana native. All of them have
criminal antecedents and were out on bail. The charges against them include attempted murder, intimidation and assault, the police said.