Bulandshahr’s DM orders magisterial probe into allegation of custodial killing

The Bulandshahr district administration has ordered a magisterial probe into the allegation of custodial death of a 28-year-old-man during his detention by police after his elopement with a girl two days before her marriage.

The family members of deceased Somdutt alias Sonu, a resident of Kanaini village in Khurja Nagar police station area, have accused police of killing him in their custody and then getting his last rites conducted forcibly overnight without his postmortem.

Bulandshahr District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar said on the demand for a fair probe by family members of the deceased, a sub-divisional magistrate has been asked to investigate the case and submit his report within 48 hours.

Denying the man’s death in police custody, Bulandshahr’s Senior Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar Singh said the man committed suicide at his home in his village after the woman with whom he had run away preferred to go back with her family members.

The CCTV camera installed in the Khurja police station premises has not been working. Had they been working, the police would not have faced this allegation of custodial killing, said Singh.

Khurja police station SHO Mithilesh Kumar Upadhayay has been suspended with immediate effect for his failure to keep the CCTV camera in working condition, the SSP added.

Explaining the case, he said Sonu had eloped with a woman of his village on December 6, two days before she was to be married.

On a complaint by the girl’s family members, the police managed to track them down and got the girl medically examined and her statement recorded before a judicial magistrate under section 164 of the CrPC, said SSP Singh.

In her statement, the woman expressed her desire to leave the man and get back to her home while pressing no charges against the man with whom she had run away, the SSP said.

Accordingly, the woman was entrusted to her two brothers, Anil and Sunil, and the Sonu two was allowed to go back home, he said.

Apparently dejected by the girl leaving him, the man committed suicide during the night at his home, the SSP said.

The village head too had corroborated the police version, saying the man returned home at some time during the night and committed suicide, following which his family members cremated him.

The SSP said the family members of the deceased youth have lodged no complaint with the police.

“If they lodge any complaint, the police will take action on it,” he said. 

(IMAGE CREDITS:PTI)