‘Fighting the police is not easy’: 20 years on, 2 UP cops get life for man’s custodial death

“Fighting a case against the police in UP is no easy task,” said Sunil. “This is something I’ve come to understand after watching my family battle for justice for my father,” said the 35-year-old.

Pal is survived by his wife, Guddi Devi, and six children — two sons and four daughters, all of whom are now married.

“It was my mother who raised all of us on her own… We lived under the constant fear of being targeted by the police throughout our lives,” said Sunil, the weight of those years still evident in his words.

Village clash, then arrest

It was August 2005. Bahgun village in Etah was in the middle of a panchayat election.

Sunil said his father had been supporting candidate Ahibaran Singh, whose closest rival in the contest was Munni Devi.

On August 23, a minor clash broke out between supporters of the two camps but local residents intervened and managed to defuse the situation. Two days later, voting took place..

On August 26, clashes broke out again.

“This time,” said Sunil, “the police arrived at our house and took my father away.”

“The next evening, when I went to Jaithara police station along with a neighbour, Kuldeep Singh, to give my father food, I heard him screaming. The police did not let me meet him and sent me away… Other members of my family who went to the station were also turned away,” Singh recalled.

There was no word of Pal for the next 24 hours.

On the morning of August 28, an angry crowd comprising the family and villagers gathered outside the police station, protesting and pelting stones.

The family later alleged that police placed Pal in a private vehicle, drove 12 km away, and dumped his body in a field in an attempt to destroy evidence.

The body was later recovered and a case was registered against five police personnel, including the Station House Officer of Jaithara police station.

The conviction

RPS Rathore, District Government Counsel, Etah, said the court found retired sub-inspector Gajraj Singh and constable Mahavir guilty of the custodial murder of Mohar Pal and sentenced them to life imprisonment.

Mahavir was posted in Hathras.

He added that three other accused in the case — then Jaithara police station in-charge Manish Yadav, along with constables Madai Lal and Saudan Singh — had died during the trial.

Pradeep Singh, the younger brother of Ahibaran Singh — who eventually won the 2005 panchayat polls — said his family also fought for justice for Pal, who had been a loyal supporter of theirs.

He recalled that police had initially filed a closure report in the case. Pradeep said they pushed for the investigation to be reopened.

Closure

For Sunil, while the verdict has brought a measure of peace, he is unable to forget the threats and harassment they endured over the years. “At one point, we were terrified of even stepping out of our homes… we feared for our lives and wanted to leave the state,” he said.

He claimed his mother and his uncle, Atweer Singh, were at one point forced to retract the statements they had given to police.

Sunil, who was also a witness in the case, said after they complained to senior officials about the harassment, two constables were deployed to provide security to his family for around one-and-a-half years

“But we are relieved to finally see the accused policemen facing punishment for their crime,” he added.