UP: Ghaziabad Drycleaner Picked For 'Questioning' Dies in Police Custody, FIR Against Cops

Lucknow: The suspicious death of a youth, allegedly in police custody, led to tension in Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, with hundreds of local residents and relatives of the deceased staging a sit-in protest outside the Vijayanagar police station, demanding registration of a case against the police officials concerned.

Senior police officers, however, claimed that the vehicle in which the youth was being brought from Indirapuram to Vijayanagar police station for questioning had met with an accident with an Eicher Canter. Its driver and helper have been arrested and necessary legal action was being taken. 

Dilshad Khan, the victim, was a resident of Makanpur village under Indirapuram police station area. He was involved in dry cleaning and washing police personnel’s clothes. The incident happened in Vijayanagar police station after he received a call from a police sub-inspector asking him to deliver laundered uniforms. 

Khan’s family members, however, claimed he was beaten “mercilessly” inside the police station, leading to his death. 

Naushad, brother of the deceased, has filed a complaint against unknown policemen of Vijayanagar police station, including constable Neeraj Rathi. 

According to Naushad, at 2 p.m on June 12, constable Rathi called his brother and asked him to bring his laundered uniform to the police station. When he did not return home after two hours, Naushad said he went to check on him at the police station where he heard his brother “screaming and crying.” 

"I rushed home and took my father along with me and came back to the police station, but he (Dilshad) was not there. We were told that the police took him to Vijayanagar police station. But,  by the time we got there, they'd beaten him to death," Naushad told NewsClick, claiming that Dilshad had injury marks on his stomach and head. 

According to DCP City Nipun Aggarwal, Dilshad Khan was brought to Vijayanagar police station in connection with a complaint of crime against a woman. 

"On a complaint of a girl, Dilshad was detained and was being taken to Vijayanagar police station from Indirapuram. The car in which he was being brought had an accident with a canter. During interrogation of the police team, it has been revealed that at the time of the accident, Dilshad had opened the door of the car to spit outside. During this, he collided with the canter and suffered a head injury. He was taken to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead," DCP Aggarwal told reporters. 

Khan’s family, however, picked holes in the police's version alleging how no policeman was injured when Eicher Canter hit the vehicle. There was no sign of accident (dents etc) on the canter which hit the police van, they alleged, adding there was only minor damage to the rear left side door of the vehicle. 

Read Also: UP: Family Protests as Dalit Man Dies of Alleged ‘Torture’ in Police Custody in Mainpuri

Last month, too, a protest was held outside the Mainpuri police station in Uttar Pradesh, after a 54-year-old dalit man allegedly died in police custody.

The protesters, comprising the victim’s family members, relatives and acquaintances, alleged Bhure died due to physical torture, but the police claimed he died in hospital of natural causes.

According to the Union Minister for State Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai in 2021-22, a total of 501 custodial deaths occurred in UP alone, which is one-fifth of the custodial deaths (2,544) in the country. Whereas earlier, i.e. in 2020-21, 451 cases of custodial deaths were registered. He gave this information to the Lok Sabha in July 2022.