Custody Death in UP: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that one person died in police custody due to torture in the Jalaun district of Uttar Pradesh. As mentioned in the news report, carried on 15th July 2024, the police personnel left the body of the victim uninformed outside the emergency ward of the district hospital and fled. Reportedly, in an effort to hide the incident, they also illegally detained the family members of the deceased at the Police Station.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, raise a serious violation of the human rights of the victim and his family. Going by the contents of the media report, it appears that the policemen abused their power. A precious human life was lost apparently during police action and the victim’s family members were allegedly subjected to harassment and illegal detention, which is a matter of concern. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh to submit a detailed report in the matter within two weeks.
The Commission has also noted that the Jalaun police authorities have not yet sent any intimation to it as per its standing guidelines about the death in Police/ Judicial custody within 24 hours. Therefore, the Superintendent of Police, Jalaun has been directed to explain within one week why this case of custodial death was not reported to the Commission within 24 hours.
As mentioned in the news report, the duty doctor on noticing a dead body in front of the Emergency Ward sent a Ward Boy to inform the Police Station. However, reportedly, the police illegally detained him. He was released only after a protest by the hospital staff. Reportedly, there were injury marks on the body of the deceased while the police claim that the man, wanted in a case of murder, was ill and after the arrest died due to illness at the Police Station.
