Jalaun trader dies ‘in police custody’, probe ordered
Police deny assault allegations; 2 cops removed from posts
3 min read
On learning about the death, the family reached the hospital and staged a protest, demanding action against the policemen involved in the questioning. (Representational Image)A MAGISTERIAL inquiry has been ordered into the death of a 35-year-old businessman, who died in police custody on Saturday in Jalaun, allegedly during questioning in a murder case.
The family of the deceased, Raj Kumar, alleged that he died due to “severe beating” by the police during questioning. The police, however, denied the allegation.
Police said Raj Kumar had been named in the alleged murder of his tenant that happened on July 11.
Additional Superintendent of Police, Jalaun, Aseem Chaudhary, said the postmortem was conducted by a panel of doctors and the entire procedure was videographed. He added that no internal or deep injuries were found on the body, and since the cause of death could not be ascertained, the viscera has been preserved for examination.
The ASP further added that District Magistrate of Jalaun, Rajesh Kumar Pandey has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter.
Meanwhile, two police inspectors, including Station House Officer, Dakor police station, Rajesh Pal Singh and Jalaun police’s SOG in-charge inspector Satendra Singh Yadav, have been removed from their posts and attached to Reserve Police Lines.
“Action will be taken on the basis of evidence collected during inquiry and review of the postmortem report,” said ASP.
According to the police, Raj Kumar and four others, including his younger brother Nirbhay Singh, were booked in the murder case of Santosh, whose body was found with a head injury in Mohana village on July 11. Santosh was a tenant of Raj Kumar, whose residence is located in the Indra Nagar area under Dakor police station in Jalaun.
During the investigation, the police detained Raj Kumar for questioning in connection with the murder case. Raj Kumar was traced at his relatives’ house in Jalaun.
Police took him into custody to verify information collected during the investigation. The police stated that during questioning, Raj Kumar’s condition deteriorated and he was taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
On learning about the death, the family reached the hospital and staged a protest, demanding action against the policemen involved in the questioning. Raj Kumar, who was a habiutal drinker, is survived by his wife Anju and two minor daughters. Police said he had been suffering from asthma.
Senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in a post in Hindi on X, referred to the incident. “The job of the police is to protect the general public, not become synonymous with cruelty, oppression and murder. The number of deaths in custody has increased significantly in Uttar Pradesh. This is serious, dangerous to the public. The state government should curb this cruelty and restore law and order.”
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