Tragedy strikes in northern India as man ceases to exist in police custody, family accuses officers of brutality
by ShravyaIn a distressing incident in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh, a 30-year-old man died while in police custody, with his family claiming he was brutally beaten by officers.
The incident took place in Lucknow district on October 26.
Visuals showed the man lying on the floor of the jail, initially shivering before becoming motionless. Fellow inmates noticed his condition and rushed to assist him, visibly distressed by the scene. A video circulating on social media captured the alarming moments as the man lay unresponsive, raising concerns among those who witnessed it.
According to reports, Mohit Kumar, a resident of Jainabad in the Chinhat area, was arrested on Saturday. A video circulating on social media shows him in the lockup, with his family alleging that police are selectively leaking footage to protect themselves from accountability.
Police stated that Mohit was taken to a community health center after becoming unwell at the station and later referred to another hospital where he died. Mohit’s brother, Shobharam, who was also detained but later released, alleged that he witnessed police mercilessly beat his brother before he was sent to the hospital, claiming he had already died by that time.
An FIR has been lodged against Station House Officer (SHO) Ashwani Chaturvedi and others under Sections 103 (1) (Punishment for murder) and 61 (2) (criminal conspiracy). Chaturvedi has since been suspended from his position, and the charge of the police station has been assigned to Sub-Inspector Bharat Kumar. In response to the incident, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brijesh Pathak ordered a high-level investigation.
* Non Exclusive Video rights*