Trader dies in police custody in Lucknow, SHO booked after family alleges torture

Based on a complaint of Mohit’s mother Tageshwari Devi, an FIR has been filed against Adesh, a driver, his unidentified uncle, SHO Ashwani Kumar Chaturvedi, and other policemen at the Chinhat police station. No arrests had been made yet, and the investigation was ongoing, the police said.

According to the police, the complainant alleged that on the evening of October 25, her son got into a minor dispute with Adesh. Following a complaint, the police arrived and took Mohit to the Chinhat police station. Later, when Mohit’s elder brother Shobha Ram went to the station to inquire about him, he was also detained, allegedly on the grounds of being intoxicated.

She claimed that no action was then taken against Adesh due to the influence of his uncle, a political leader. The two brothers were kept in separate rooms, and a few hours later, the police also brought Adesh to the station, she alleged. The complainant alleged that the police brutally assaulted Mohit, resulting in his death. To conceal the incident, they reportedly transported him to a hospital.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Lucknow) Pankaj Kumar Singh said Mohit’s condition worsened at the Chinhat police station, prompting officers to take him to a community health centre, which then referred him to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, where he was declared dead. The family was subsequently informed of his death.

Following the incident, a large crowd gathered, and Mohit’s family demanded action against the police. They also alleged that police officers did not allow them to see the body before sending it for a post-mortem, the report of which was awaited.