Muslim youth dies of injuries, family alleges police apathy
Victim was assaulted by a group of Hindu youths on Monday over parking issues.
Police apathy allegedly led to death of a Muslim youth in the Civil Lines police station area in Saharanpur district on Tuesday.
Jahangir (24) was reportedly assaulted by a group of Hindu youths on Monday over parking issues. While the police got him medically examined, Jahangir was allegedly sent home without being administered proper treatment. He later died. The post-mortem report had stated that Jahangir died of ante-mortem injuries.
The police lodged a murder case against the four youths only after Jahangir’s family and relatives blocked Chilkana Road in Mandi on Tuesday night by placing the body there. No arrests have been made in the case yet.
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Sub-Inspector Jitendra Kumar of Civil Lines police station, said according to the complaint — lodged by Jahangir’s brother Dilshad — the victim had an altercation with Sarang Joshi, Shashank Singhal, Anoop Garg and Nitin at Pansari market over the parking of his motorcycle on Monday afternoon.
The youths allegedly assaulted Jahangir and later handed him over to the police, who had arrived after coming to know of the scuffle. The police took Jahangir to the district hospital. There, his medical examination was conducted, following which, he was allegedly brought to the police station. In the meantime, the families of Jahangir and the four accused reached the police station and entered into a compromise.
After reaching home, Jahangir’s condition deteriorated and he was admitted to the hospital. From there, he was referred to Chandigarh PGI on Tuesday. He, however, died on way.
When contacted, DIG A K Raghav, however, claimed: “Jahangir was admitted to the hospital by the police on Monday itself. From there he was referred to Chandigarh PGI. The allegations against the police are false.”
“Police are investigating the case and action will be taken on the basis of evidence. Heavy police force have been deployed in the area, but there is no tension,” said Saharanpur SSP Nitin Tiwari.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, traders of Pansari market and Loha Bazar in the Civil Lines area shut shops in protest against the murder case being lodged against the four youths. Shailendra Bhushan Gupta, a shopkeeper, said they have met Saharanour Range DIG A K Raghav and registered their protest.
“We told the DIG that some unidentified men had assaulted Jahangir and brought him to Pansari market, claiming that he tried to snatch a gold chain. The police were informed by the four youths who have been named in the case,” Gupta added.
Jahangir’s brother Mohammad Umar, however, claimed that he has come to know from shopkeepers that the four youths had assaulted his brother over the parking of his motorcycle. “The policemen too are responsible for my brother’s death as they did not admit him to the hospital when he was taken there for medical examination,” he said.
“Policemen handed over my brother to us late on Monday. We kept waiting outside the police station for a long time. Jahangir’s condition deteriorated soon after we reached home around 11 pm. We rushed him to the hospital and the doctors referred him to Chandigarh PGI on Tuesday morning. He died around 11 am,” Umar added.
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