Uttar Pradesh Police | SabrangIndia

Farrukhabad: Dalit man allegedly beaten to death by UP cops

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 09:16:34 +0000

Image Courtesy: maktoobmedia.com

In another instance of what could be institutionalised caste violence, a 35-year-old Dalit man in Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh was beaten to death, allegedly by police personnel. Gautam was allegedly killed after police raided his house on June 24, 2022. Wife Manju Devi accused the police of targeting husband Gautam due to his caste identity.

The deceased’s family filed an FIR against Merapur police station officer Jagdish Varma, sub-inspector Vishwajeet Arya, constables Sachin, Nikhil, and six unnamed policemen for murder. According to Janjwar, a local news publication that reports on Dalit and tribal issues, officials said the police approached the house to nab illegal liquor traders.

“They took my husband into the fields in front of a temple on the village outskirts and beat my husband to death. I begged the three policemen for my husband’s life but they didn’t leave him until he was dead. He was killed for being Dalit,” said his wife in the complaint as per the publication.

Gautam’s brother Udal stressed that there was no prior complaint or allegation against the now deceased man. Yet, the police barged into their house when he was sleeping in the courtyard. Gautam woke up and tried to stop the police, but was taken away by them.

Based on the complaint of the wife of the deceased, an FIR of murder was registered against four named and 5-6 unidentified policemen of Mirapur PS. Udal, brother of the deceased shared the ordeal of alleged police atrocity with the local media. pic.twitter.com/hx2eXGoCrH

— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) June 27, 2022

On finding Gautam’s body, the family and soon villagers protested, and demanded an FIR be filed against the police. The family refused to hand over his body for autopsy. Speaking to local reporters, the family alleged that the police took away the body on June 25 and then forcibly cremated the body.

Worse still, the findings in the report were found to be unclear, as per Janjwar, with doctors’ remarks of scratch marks on the body of the deceased. A panel of three doctors has conducted the post-mortem of the deceased youth. The police also allegedly vandalised four houses of Nanhi, Santosh, Satyaveer and Meena, said villagers.

Once the news was circulated on social media via journalist Piyush Rai’s social media, the incident caused considerable outrage in Dalit circles. Dalit leader Chandrashekhar Azad tweeted about the case in Hindi, saying, “Yogi police went to sieze liquor and left behind a corpse. In Sankisa of Farrukhabad, the police went to sieze liquor and beat Gautam alias Sena Baheliya to death. Unable to stop the oppression of Dalits, Yogi-police is now killing in the name of raiding. Who gave this authority to the police?”

योगी जी की पुलिस शराब पकड़ने गई और शव पकड़ा गई।

फर्रुखाबाद के संकिसा में शराब पकड़ने गई पुलिस ने गौतम उर्फ सेना बहेलिया को पीट पीट कर मार डाला।
दलितों के उत्पीड़न को रोकने में नाकाम योगी जी की पुलिस अब दबिश देने के नाम पर हत्या करने लगी है। पुलिस को ये अधिकार किसने दिया @dgpup pic.twitter.com/LrKbVQvNmb

— Chandra Shekhar Aazad (@BhimArmyChief) June 27, 2022

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UP cops electrocute Muslim youth, insert stick in his rectum, violate judicial precedents on torture

Wed, 08 Jun 2022 12:24:14 +0000

Image Courtesy:siasat.com

An FIR has been filed 5 policeman from Badaun, Uttar Pradesh for brutally torturing a Muslim youth in his early 20s under the suspicion of cattle theft for the purpose of slaughter. It has been reported that he was made subject to electric shocks and a stick was inserted in his rectum.

The doctors at the hospital reportedly said that the patient was getting seizures regularly as his nervous system has been affected severely, possibly because of a shock. “Since the case is under investigation, we can’t provide further details about the medical examination report,” a doctor told TOI.

According to his sister-in-law, “Police thrashed my brother-in-law the whole night. After realizing that they had picked the wrong person, they handed him Rs 100 and sent him back after torturing him for two straight days. Since then, he has been getting seizures almost every day. On Friday (June 3) his condition deteriorated and we had to rush him to the hospital. He has been severely injured and unable to walk or speak”, reported Siasat.

On May 2, 2022, the victim who is reportedly a vegetable vendor was picked up and detained by the police on his way to work. It is important to note that the victim does not have any prior criminal record.

Superintendent of Police (SP) (city) Praveen Singh Chauhan said, “The allegations against five policemen were found to be true during a preliminary investigation. We have registered an FIR against them for wrongful confinement and torture. Steps are being taken to suspend them and an impartial investigation will be carried out in this case. We are also supporting the family to ensure the best possible treatment for the victim”, reported Deccan Herald.

A case has been reportedly filed against the police officers under IPC section 342 (wrongful confinement) and section 33 (voluntarily causing hurt) along with others.

CJI NV Ramana on Custodial Torture

In August 2021, at an event organized by the National Legal Services Authority of India (NALSA), Chief Justice N.V. Ramana reportedly said, “The threat to human rights and bodily integrity are the highest in police stations. Custodial torture and other police atrocities are problems which still prevail in our society. In spite of constitutional declarations and guarantees, lack of effective legal representation at the police stations is a huge detriment to arrested/detained persons. The decisions taken in these early hours will later determine the ability of the accused to defend himself. If, as an institution, the judiciary wants to garner the faith of the citizens, we have to make everyone feel assured that we exist for them. For the longest time, the vulnerable population has lived outside the system of justice. The prevailing obstacles like lengthy, painstaking and expensive formal justice processes add to the woes of realising the goals of ‘Access to Justice’. As an institution, the toughest challenge before us is to break these barriers first.”

Judicial Precedent:

In the case of Paramvir Singh Saini vs Baljit Singh and Ors (S.L.P Crl. No. 3543 of 2020), while considering the installation of CCTVs in all police stations across the country to check State abuse, the Supreme Court’s three Judge Bench (Justices Rohinton Nariman, K.M Joseph and Aniruddha Bose) passed a detailed and specific order directing states and the centre to take concrete steps towards ensuring that every police station in the country and all investigating agencies have CCTV cameras in their premises

The bench ordered setting up of state and district level oversight committees that will be responsible for making sure that these CCTV cameras are procured, installed and function so they can be of use during trial. In September 2020, the court had impleaded all the States and Union Territories to find out the exact position of CCTV cameras at each Police Station as well as the constitution of Oversight Committees in accordance with the 2018 Order in Shafi Mohammad v. State of Himachal Pradesh (2018) 5 SCC 311. As per action taken reports filed by 14 states and 2 union territories, the court observed that the majority of the Compliance Affidavits and Action Taken Reports failed to disclose the exact position of CCTV cameras in each Police Station and also did not disclose any details on oversight committees.

In March 2021, the top court expressed its displeasure as both the Centre and the States/UTs did not take the matter seriously. A Bench comprising Justices Rohinton Fali Nariman, BR Gavai and Hrishikesh Roy said, “We reiterate that these are the matters of utmost importance concerning the citizens of this country under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.”

The top court came down heavily on Telangana, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and was most displeased at Bihar’s state of conditions. It noted that nothing has moved forward in these states in terms of installing cameras, allocating necessary budget, etc.

Further, the court also directed the central government to allocate its budget accordingly for CCTV camera installation in different investigation agencies like CBI, ED, etc. It had strictly reiterated that “after budgetary allocation is made within the one month given by us, our earlier orders will be implemented in letter and spirit within a period of six months from the date on which budgetary allocation is made.”

Police misconduct such as brutality, using excessive force, different methods of torture, humiliation, targeting the most marginalised, although does not go unnoticed, rarely attracts penal punishment. Police reforms have been long recognised especially in Prakash Singh and Ors v. Union of India and Ors (2006) 8 SCC 1, in which the Supreme Court came up with seven directives to kick start such reforms and re-shape the police force’s functioning mechanism.

Amongst the seven directives, the most important to the theme is “Police Complaints Authority” to be set up at the State and district level to inquire into public complaints against police officers of and above the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police in cases of “serious misconduct by the police personnel, which would include incidents involving death, grievous hurt or rape in police custody.”

“The head of the State level Complaints Authority shall be chosen by the State Government out of a panel of names proposed by the Chief Justice; the head of the district level Complaints Authority may also be chosen out of a panel of names proposed by the Chief Justice or a Judge of the High Court nominated by him. These Authorities may be assisted by three to five members depending upon the volume of complaints in different States/districts, and they shall be selected by the State Government from a panel prepared by the State Human Rights Commission/Lok Ayukta/State Public Service Commission. The panel may include members from amongst retired civil servants, police officers or officers from any other department, or from the civil society”, read the judgment authored by Justice Y.K. Sabharwal.

Moreover, in a landmark judgment given by the Supreme Court in the case of D.K. Basu v. State of West Bengal (AIR 1997 SC 610) with respect to an increasing number of custodial deaths in India, the Court laid down 11 specific requirements and procedures that the police and other agencies have to follow for the arrest, detention and interrogation of any person. guidelines were made binding by the court by stating that failure to comply with these would make an official liable for departmental action and also for contempt of court. It was further held that these requirement flow from Articles 21 and 22 (1) of the Constitution and need to be strictly followed. These were to be followed not just by the police department but other law enforcement agencies.

However, the guidelines are being more or less violated and non-compliance of the same does not invite any serious implications. It’s time these guidelines take the form of legislation or gets inducted in the Code of Criminal Procedure with meaningful implications. After all, violations of the legislature truly intend to safeguard a person’s right to life.

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Hindutva group tries to evoke ‘love jihad’ bogey in Kasganj case

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 12:34:31 +0000

Image Courtesy:financialexpress.com

Uttar Pradesh Police have reportedly dropped the kidnapping charge they had registed against Altaf, the young Muslim man who eventualy died in their custody in a Kasganj police station earlier this month. Last week, police recovered the girl who Altaf had been accused of kidnapping. The police have revealed that the woman is not a minor, but a 19 year old. She has reportedly recorded her statement before a magistrate on Monday and claimed that Altaf had promised to marry her.

According to a report in The Hindu, the woman said Altaf had asked her to move to Agra with his ‘friend’ and that he would join them later. Hence the police claim of investigating the case of kidnapping of a minor stands exposed.

However, Kasganj SP Rohan Botre told the media that the police hadn’t received the copy of her statement recorded under section 164 CrPc. But he could confirm that the two were in a relationship. “The girl was recovered on Friday [last week] from the Kasganj railway station where it seems she was dropped by Rinku, the unidentified man in the kidnapping FIR,” the SP was quoted as saying, and that a search was on to nab Rinku who worked at the railway station.

Meanwhile, some media reports have begun to suggest that the woman had alleged that she was being forced to convert. SP Botre told The Hindu that he had also heard such “stories from sources” but could not confirm. This theory has also been floated by one Bhupesh Sharma who is identified in media reports as the ‘National President of Akhand Aryavart Nirman Sangh’. He claimed that this is a case of so-called ‘love jihad’. He told the media that he had “videos” to back his claim and allegations.

The FIR still does not name the five suspended police officials yet, and according to the SP, Altaf’s family had given multiple versions of the complaint, and media should wait for the investigation. He said, “A magisterial and departmental inquiry is on against the suspended officials and we are asking for a judicial inquiry as well.” He, according to the news report, continued to say that Altaf died by hanging himself from the water pipe, “According to the post-mortem report, it was a death by suicide. We know of cases where a person attempted to hang himself in a squat position”. Many questions were raised over UP Police’s lock up suicide theory in Altaf’s custodial death.

The National Commission for Minorities (NCMC) has already sought a report from UP Chief Secy, and DGP on Altaf’s custodial death. The NCMC chairman Sardar Iqbal Singh Lalpura told the media, “We have asked for a report from the Uttar Pradesh government-from Chief Secretary and Director General of Police. Once we get the report, we will visit the place and see that no injustice is done to anyone on the basis of his caste and religion.”

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All it took was a WhatsApp ‘threat’ for UP police to take a 15-year-old away

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 09:48:37 +0000

Image Courtesy:pressboltnews.com

Uttar Pradesh police took a teenager away from his family and lodged him at a juvenile home allegedly over a threatening message he sent. According to news reports the officials traced an alleged “death threat” targeting UP Chief Minister Adityanath, to the teenager’s mobile phone. The 15-year-old boy is a class 10 student who lives in an Agra village with his family. According to police the boy had allegedly threatened to “blow up” the CM via a WhatsApp message sent on the state’s helpline number.

Noticing the “death threats,” a police man posted with the helpline team had filed an FIR for the alleged criminal intimidation. According to a report by The Indian Express, it took the police less than 24 hours to trace the message to the boy. The child was found and then taken away by the police on Sunday afternoon. However, his family had been unaware of the complaint until the police showed up, according to news reports, the boy’s family believes that he had meant no harm. They maintained that he was a well behaved teen, and a good student. He was probably just frustrated, or this was meant as a joke, said his family, upset that the child was taken away like a criminal.

Now, further investigations are reportedly underway, the police will also investigate if anyone else is also involved. According to another news report in the Jagran, the teenager has apparently said he was feeling angry about the “restrictions” created in the wake of the Covid-19pandemic. School was closed, and he was not allowed to play sports outside the house, all this led to frustration and resentment against the authorities, hence the messages. However, according to news reports the Whatsapp messages have since been deleted but the police are now trying to recover them.

The Free Press Journal reported that this kind of arrest is not the first incident. And WhatsApp threats against the Chief Minister have also been reported in the past. According to FPJ, in May this year, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad arrested an individual from Mumbai for threatening to kill UP CM Adityanath. The UP police’s social media help desk had received a WhatsApp message threatening a bomb blast. The message was traced to Mumbai, and the UP Police alerted the Maharashtra ATS.

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UP government deploys police personnel for Hathras victim family’s safety

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 12:54:22 +0000

Image Courtesy:nationalchronicle.in

Large number of police personnel were deployed outside the Hathras victim’s house following a visit from Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad, said a National Herald report on October 6, 2020.

According to Hathras Superintendent of Police Vineet Jaiswal, 24-hours security personnel were stationed all around the house along with two women sub-inspectors and six women constables.

He also said that two officers were deployed for the security of the victim’s brother. Moreover, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel were also deployed to guard the house. As many as 15 police officials, three Station House Officers and one Deputy Superintendent of Police were deployed in the village.

The victim’s family reportedly feared for their safety and wished to leave the village and settle elsewhere. Her brother said they were afraid of threats from supporters of the four accused.

Earlier on Sunday, Azad visited the family following which a video has made rounds on social media showing ‘upper caste’ men threatening the victim’s family and defending the four accused. Similar videos of open threats in front of police officials have also trended on social media.

In one video, a man yells threats at Azad daring him to come outside to “meet his big brothers.” He claims that Azad arrived in the village to do politics and “has no faith in the CBI.”

The police are seen trying to reason with the man while another person accused the brother of killing his sister instead of the accused. In the same vein, the man denied the rape allegations.

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UP police books man who announced Rs. 51 lakh bounty on Karnataka MLA’s nephew

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 12:31:30 +0000

Image Courtesy:opindia.com

Uttar Pradesh police have registered an FIR against one Shahzeb Rizvi after a video surfaced on social media where he is seen announcing a bounty of Rs. 51 lakh on Karnataka Congress MLA Srinivas Murthy’s nephew Naveen, whose Facebook post allegedly sparked violence in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

The riots of August 11 were allegedly caused by a provocative social media post about Prophet Mohammad’s family posted by Naveen. The riots broke out in DG Halli and KG Halli areas in the eastern part of Bengaluru whereby the mob also vandalised a police station and Murthy’s residence. Karnataka police have rounded-up 145 people for violence, stone-throwing and assault on police personnel.

In response to this incident, Rizvi, a resident of Falawada town in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh posted a video where he can be seen saying that anybody who gets him the head of Naveen will be offered Rs. 51 lakh. Rizvi was earlier a member of Samajwadi Party and was the former state secretary of minority cell.

The video may be viewed here.

Times Now reported that Falawaada police has charged Rizvi for promoting enmity and for statements amounting to public mischief thus promoting hatred between classes. Rizvi has not yet been arrested as he is allegedly absconding and the police are still looking for him.

Quite evidently, hatred spreads like wildfire. The perpetrators of hate, irrespective of the religion they belong to, stop at nothing and all that gets left behind is the common man who though disconnected from these hateful political tactics, bears their brunt.

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HRDA India exposes UP Police’s tactics to muzzle voice of human rights defender Raja Bhaiyya

Tue, 21 Jul 2020 10:19:19 +0000

Image Courtesy:navbharattimes.indiatimes.com

Human Rights Defenders’ Alert (HRDA) India has written to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) regarding the illegal detention, inhumane treatment, abuse, intimidation and threats to human rights defender Raja Bhaiyya by the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Chitrakoot, Ankit Mittal and the Circle Officer (CO) of Sadar police station and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Chitrakoot.

HRDA India said that Raja Bhaiyya had been accused of accompanying and being the source of an Aaj Tak journalist who was reporting about the alleged sexual exploitation of women and girls in Uttar Pradesh’s Banda district.

Human Rights Defenders and journalists, especially in Uttar Pradesh have become routine targets of the administration in previous years. From anti-CAA protestors like Sadaf Jafar, ex-IAS officer SR Darapuri, Mohammed Shoaib and journalists like Siddharth Vardarajan and Prashant Kanojia among others, the UP administration has constantly aimed at muzzling any voice that exposes the social rot in the state with violence, threats and intimidation to life and property. Now, the illegal detention of Raja Bhaiyya is just another example to which the state authorities will go to stop HRDs from reporting heinous incidents of violence against women in the state. The crackdown on HRDs has significantly increased during the coronavirus lockdown and increasing evidence of the police moving away from required protocol for detention has also emerged during this phase.

Chain of events

On July 11, three days after Aaj Tak had telecast a show on the alleged sexual exploitation of women and girls working in the Karwi mines at Chitrakoot, Raja Bhaiyya was picked up from his NGO Vidhyadham Samiti in Atarra by policemen who entered the office without permission. The policemen told Raja Bhaiyya that they were from the Bharatkoop police station and had come on orders of the Chitrakoot SP, who had summoned him.

Raja Bhaiyya was not given any reason, notice or warrant for being summoned and was reportedly forcefully placed in the car “like a criminal” and presented at Chitrakoot SP Ankit Mittal’s office. HRDA said that once he was there, he was asked questions which were aimed at establishing that he was the source of the story done by the journalist.

HRDA India wrote, “SP Mr. Mittal asked Mr. Raja Bhaiyya questions like, ‘Who went with Mausami Singh? (Aaj Tak reporter who did the story). Why did he go to Dafai? Why did he come to Chitrakoot? Was he the source who told the journalist and took her to the area?’ All questions were aimed at establishing his source of the news story done by the journalist on the exploitation of local women. Mr. Raja Bhaiyya replied that he knows Ms. Mausami Singh since the past 5 years and she came to the region for a story and accompanied her to the Bharatkoop area since he goes there frequently. However he was not aware of what story she was filing because she talked to the women in that area without his presence. SP Mr. Mittal intimidated and threatened HRD Mr. Raja Bhaiyya that he will file a case against him under the SC/ST Act and the POCSO Act and that he is a criminal.”

Raja Bhaiyya was then ordered to be put in a lockup. Fifteen minutes later, he was called back to the SP’s office, where the SP shouted at him and accused him of lying stating that his photo was in the video which proved that he had accompanied the journalist. Even though he clarified once again that he hadn’t accompanied the journalists while she was taking the interviews, he was threatened of physical torture (ulta latka doonga) and asked to be taken away by the policeman and torture him with “a hunter”.

HRDA India said that Raja Bhaiyya was treated like a criminal at the Sadar police station where without any seizure document, his wallet and mobile were taken away and he was put in a lockup with other detained persons. Not only this, the CO of Sadar also allegedly accused Raja Bhaiyya of having intimate physical relations with the journalist and threatened him that his wife would be informed about it. Raja Bhaiyya was verbally abused and humiliated by the CO and other policemen who refused to listen to his clarifications. He was not given any food, was not allowed to go to the toilet and not allowed to call anyone for help as well.

The next day on July 12, at around 3 AM, the station in-charge asked Raja Bhaiyya to write that ‘he knew journalist Ms. Mausami Singh and she came here to report on how government schemes are reaching people. He accompanied her to Dafai, Bharatkoop but he had no knowledge about the news story that she had filed. He too found out about her story only when he saw the TV,’ HRDA India said.

Mr. Raja Bhaiyya wrote as directed, as this was the only way he would be released and was threatened with cases under the SC/ST Act and POCSO. He was released from lockup only at around 2 PM on July 12, 2020 – more than 24 hours of illegal detention. After this, he was repeatedly approached by various local authorities for a statement in the matter of the Aaj Tak report. However, Raja Bhaiyya said that he would only respond to an official summon and soon he received a letter from the Chitrakoot SDM for an inquiry who too asked him the same questions and said that ‘his inhumane treatment and detention by the police was valid as he was a liar’.

Police action obstructs work of HRDs and journalists

Given the treatment of Raja Bhaiyya by the police, HRDA India said that the actions of the district administration and the police in this case were heinous, arbitrary and illegal. They especially showed that they were more interested in finding the source of the story instead of investigating the actual crime of the alleged sexual exploitation of women.

HRDA India also said that the illegality of the interrogation exposed the malignant intention of the police – to create obstructions in the work of HRDs and journalists and also raised a question of the freedom of speech of HRDs in the state. The police action, HRDA India said, was violative of Article 19 of the Constitution, NHRC guidelines and also of the DK Basu judgement as the illegal detention and interrogation hindered the work of the HRD and journalists and muzzled their right to free speech and expression.

Therefore, HRDA India has appealed the NHRC to –

1. Direct an independent team (with members of the NGO core group, if possible) to investigate the matter since the SP and SDM of Chitrakoot were directly involved.

2. Direct the DGP of Uttar Pradesh to submit urgently with the NHRC the CCTV footage of SP Chitrakoot office for July 11, 2020, and Sadar Police Station for July 11, 2020 and July 12, 2020.

3. Direct the DGP of Uttar Pradesh to submit urgently with the NHRC the vehicle logs of Bharatkoop police station and Sadar police station for July 11, 2020 and July 12, 2020.

4. Direct the DGP of Uttar Pradesh to take urgent action against Chitrakoot SP Mr. Ankit Mittal, Circle Officer Sadar Police station Mr. Rajneesh Kumar Yadav and immediately suspend them for their illegal actions and misuse of power.

5. Direct the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh to take urgent action against the Chitrakoot SDM for knowing about the illegal actions of the police on Mr. Raja Bhaiyya by the police, holding it valid and refraining from initiating any action.

6. Preserve the life and liberty of Mr. Raja Bhaiyya by urgently ordering the police and administration of Chitrakoot to desist from threatening, harassing or torturing him further.

The complete statement by HRDA India may be read below.

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Sadaf Jafar’s phone hacked; importance evidence deleted

Fri, 10 Jan 2020 14:54:48 +0000

Image Courtesy: freepressjournal.in

Two weeks after activist Sadaf Jafar returned home from her ordeal at the Hazratganj police station in Uttar Pradesh (UP), the state administration allegedly hacked her mobile phone device to delete all evidence of the protest and the police brutality that she may have had recorded in her device.

Sadaf alleges that her device was hacked and offline videos that she had captured from her phone camera, apart from photos at the site of the protests were deleted. Sadaf had evidence of people dressed in Muslim attire reading the namaaz during the protest, even when it wasn’t the time for it and that this was a completely state-sponsored exercise.

She said that she could access them from the Google cloud, but found that they were deleted from there as well and she couldn’t retrieve them. She says that she isn’t affected by this tactic of the UP administration, because she doesn’t have anything to fear as the UP administration has no evidence of any wrongdoing against her.

Sadaf and other activists were detained from Parivartan Chowk and she was beaten up in custody by the jail authorities, men and women, both. A junior police officer had kicked her in the stomach, causing her to bleed and other officers constantly hurled communal abuses at her and slapped her for her presence at the protest.

Only when Sadaf was taken to prison from the police station, was she given the required medical attention for her rising blood pressure and bleeding, that too more than 12 hours after she was detained.

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How true is the UP Police’s claim of 57 cops being shot at during protests?

Sat, 04 Jan 2020 09:03:33 +0000

Image Courtesy: 9curry.com

The socio-political scene in Uttar Pradesh keeps getting murkier every day as the state recuperates from the police violence and havoc unleashed during and after anti-CAA protests. NDTV attempted to do a verification of the claims made by the UP police regarding its policemen sustaining bullet injuries during the violence. This claim was made by UP police to counter the claim made by people that over 20 people have died due to police action in Uttar Pradesh.

The UP Police had initially completely denied its role in the death of over 20 people during the protests. Later, however, police in Bijnor district admitted that one of the policemen had fired at a youth in ‘self-defence’ while the family claimed that he was out offering prayers at a mosque and while returning was shot at.

NDTV reported that UP police had claimed that 57 of its cops had sustained bullet injuries and 300 got injured but did not reveal names of the injured officers after having asked for it.

One of the few policemen NDTV managed to trace was Muzaffarnagar Superintendent of Police Satpal Antil. When approached, he showed a photograph of what appears to be a bullet wound. “I was with my team at Meenakshi Chowk on December 20 when I was hit. I couldn’t understand what happened at the time, only that I was bleeding a lot,” he said. It was reported that barring this one incident, attempts to get details of policemen with bullet injuries seemed challenging.

When NDTV asked PV Rama Sastry, a top police officer in UP for details he suggested that such information be taken from district level officers and when district level officers were approached, they only provided the number of those injured and no names.

NDTV, however, managed to find officials injured due to stone pelting which included a transport official in Muzaffarnagar and a sub Inspector in Kanpur who was hit on the head with a stone. It was reported that to counter videos showing cops firing at protesters, the Uttar Pradesh police released a series of photographs and videos showing two men – one of them wearing a blue jacket – firing at them in Meerut late last month. Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma also claimed that police have recovered over 500 cartridges of prohibited bores from places where violence broke out.

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Dr Kafeel detained by UP cops again!

Sat, 22 Sep 2018 18:11:10 +0000

Gorakhpur’s famous ‘hero’ doctor Kafeel Khan, who was victimised and thrown in jail despite saving the lives of many children during the oxygen shortage at the BRD Medical College, is in the state’s crosshairs once again. Dr Kafeel who was all set to expose the UP state government for allegedly covering-up an Encephalitis outbreak was taken into custody while visiting a hospital in Bahraich.

Speaking to Sabrang India, his older brother Adeel Khan said, “Dr Kafeel is convinced that the numerous deaths in the last few days in UP are due to Encephalitis and not some ‘mysterious fever’ as the government is claiming. He had gone to Sadar Hospital in Bahraich to speak with the families of patients and gather more information about their symptoms.” According to Adeel, even as Dr. Khan was speaking to these family members, the City Magistrate and two Circle Officers arrived at the spot and took him into custody.

In this video Dr Khan can be seen telling them that he is not here to conduct a press conference, he just wants to speak to the families.

In this Dr Khan can be seen being forced into a police vehicle despite agreeing to accompany the police in his own vehicle.

“They were very rude to Dr Kafeel and they have taken him to some unknown location. I am currently at the SSP’s office trying to find out where they have taken my brother,” said Adeel when we spoke to him at about 7:30pm.

Over 84 people have succumbed to what the UP administration is describing as a “mystery fever” so far. Cases have been reported from across 6 districts namely Bahraich, Sitapur, Hardoi, Shahjahanpur, Bareily and Badaun. 70 children have died at the Bahraich district hospital over the last 45 days. Though the Adityanath administration has placed the state on high alert, there is no formal acknowledgment of Encephalitis being the cause of death, though malaria has been mentioned by many officials.

When we spoke to Sabha Raj, Superintendent of Police Bahraich at about 8:30 pm he confirmed Dr Kafeels arrest but said that he had been released. “We had arrested him under section 151 of the PC. The police was informed that he had come to the hospital and was disturbing patients. But we have now released him. He is on his way back home,” said Sabha Raj.

But Adeel Khan disputed the claim saying that when he requested to speak with Dr Kafeel the police said that was not possible as he was travelling. “I called his phone and no one is answering. I asked to speak to him by calling on the number of the driver, but the police did not give me any number or any other way to ensure my brother’s well being,” said Adeel. He also added, “At first they said Dr Khan is on his way to Gorakhpur and would probably reach before me, but now they say he will reach by tomorrow morning. How is that possible when the distance between the two cities can be covered in just about 3 hours?” When this reporter called Dr Kafeel’s number at 8:5o pm, the automated message said, “The number you are calling is either switched off or not available at this time.”

We will keep updating this story when we have more information.

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