LUCKNOW: Mystery shrouded the death of a 22-year-old found hanging inside a police station in Kasganj district of UP on Tuesday. Five cops have been suspended and a probe has been ordered. Altaf, a labourer, was summoned to Kotwali police station for interrogation in an alleged elopement case involving a minor Hindu girl. A resident of Nagla Syed area in Kasganj, Altaf’s body was found hanging inside the toilet of the police station.
Kasganj SP BR Pramod suspended five policemen, including the SHO, Virendra Singh. The others are two sub-inspectors and two constables. Altaf’s family accused the police of ‘murder’ and held a protest outside the hospital where the autopsy was conducted. The matter was resolved after senior police officials assured the family of strict action against policemen found guilty. Heavy police force was deployed to avoid any untoward incident, said sources. With the minor girl still untraceable, Altaf’s autopsy confirms death due to hanging.
According to acting SHO of Kotwali police station, Ramesh Prasad, the girl from the family where Altaf was working as a labourer went missing. The girl’s father filed a complaint against Altaf alleging kidnap and an FIR was registered under IPC Section 363 (kidnapping) and 366 (kidnapping, abducting or inducing a woman to compel her marriage).
According to Altaf’s father Chand Mia, a police team had gone to his house on Monday evening looking for his son. They told him to send Altaf to the police station for questioning. “After 24 hours, the police say my son has hung himself. I believe that the police were behind my son’s killing,” said the distraught father.