Arrested for battery theft, man dies in police custody

VARANASI: A man arrested for allegedly stealing the battery of a tractor died in police custody in Mau on Sunday night.
While local residents alleged that the victim was beaten in police custody, cops said he had suffered injuries after he was thrashed by the tractor owner and his associates which resulted in his death. Senior officials, however, failed to explain why the police did not admit him to the hospital if he was injured.District magistrate, Mau, Gyan Prakash Tripathi said a magisterial probe had been ordered into the alleged custodial death as per the guidelines of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Station officer, Ghosi, Niraj Kumar Pathak has been attached to police lines for negligence of duty and a named FIR has been lodged by the victim’s family against tractor owner Raghunath Yadav, his relatives and other unidentified persons.
Superintendent of police, Mau, Anurag Arya has asked the additional superintendent of police to launch a departmental inquiry against the Ghosi SO.
Police said the battery of a tractor belonging to Raghunath Yadav of Tilaikhurd village of Ghosi was stolen on September 7. Charging Onkesh of the same village with theft, Raghunath, his relatives, Achhelal and Vinod, and others thrashed him brutally.
Ghosi police rescued Onkesh and took him under custody after lodging a theft case under Section 379 of the IPC. Later in the night, Onkesh’s condition deteriorated after which cops took him to a local hospital where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. As the news spread, people gathered at the police station and questioned the role of cops. They staged a protest by blocking the highway and pelted three buses with stones.
The DM and the SP reached Ghosi police station and found that though Onkesh had suffered injuries, the station officer did not get his medical examination done before arresting him.
The SP said appropriate action would be initiated against Pathak after receiving the probe report.
“The video clips of the assault on Onkesh, which were prepared by some villagers and circulated on social media, are also being examined to identify other assailants,” he said.
Arya said Onkesh family had lodged an FIR and efforts were on to nab the accused persons.