KANPUR: A 26-year-old dalit man on Thursday died in police custody under suspicious circumstances here following which twelve police personnel have been suspended.
Kamal Valmiki, a resident of Shiv Katra village, was found dead at Ahirwan police station on Thursday afternoon after he was picked up along with another man, Raju Mistri, in a case of robbery.
The family members of the deceased filed an FIR against the station in charge and other police personnel for beating Kamal to death. However, police claimed he had committed suicide and sent the body for postmortem.
"We were beaten as if we were footballs," Nirmal Valmiki, Kamal's younger brother who was also interrogated by the police told NDTV. "They said to me - either confess or we will kill your brother," he added.
Nirmal was let off by the Police soon after Kamal's alleged suicide on Thursday morning. "I only want my other sons to be safe.
"Twelve police personnel, including the station in charge Yogendra Singh, have been suspended and strict action will be taken against them if found guilty," Shalabh Mathur, SSP Mathura, said.
We are poor. How can we take on the might of the police?," Kishan Valmiki, Kamal's grieving father said.
The members of Valmiki community blocked the Kanpur-Lucknow highway and threw stones at the police station following which senior police officials reached there to control the situation. Meanwhile, Raju Mistri has been reported missing.