Three policemen, including an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) and Head Constable (HC), have been suspended in Rajouri district after an alleged allegation of the suspicious death of a person in police custody at Police Check Post (Naka) at Bhakar under the jurisdiction of the Dharamshal Police station on the intervening night of January 13 & 14.
The suspension of the cops was affected after a massive protest was held by the family members, relatives of the deceased– identifies as Sher Singh s/o Chattar Singh resident of Daggal Halal under Budhal Police station– and inhabitants of the area at Solki and blocked Rajouri-Kalakot-Jammu road for more than six hours on Saturday alleging custodial death of Sher Singh and stringent action against those posted at the Check Post.
On getting information about the protest Additional DC Kalalkot, Krishan Lal along with Additional SP Nowshera, Rafir Giri & SDPO Nowshera, Tussif reached the spot and listened to the protesters about their allegations and demands.
Family members, relatives and people alleged that when Sher Singh was rounded up by the police, he was alive and when handed over to the brother he was dead and wrapped in a sleeping bag.
Police said that on the complaint of some locals,Sher Singh was rounded up in a drunken condition from Siot on the evening of January 13 and was handed over to his brother in an unconscious condition next day.
While, family members and people alleged that if Sher Singh was drunk, then why the police not conducted his medical examination and lodged FIR against him as per rules/guidelines?
The protesters alleged custodial death and demanded stringent action against the erring cops deputed at Police Check Post.
Protestors were demanding a fair and transparent probe into the alleged custodial death.
They, including women, also alleged that the police used a mild lathi charge against them when family members/relatives were heading towards Bhakar police post along with the dead body to lodge their protest.
“Keeping in view the allegation of custodial death leveled against the police by the family members, relatives, and people, and to investigate the suspicious death, three policemen have been placed under suspension, and inquest proceedings under section 174CrPC have been initiated by the police. Action will be taken against the policemen if found involved in the incident,” said SSP, Mohammad Aslam.
Sher Singh, who was working at Thandapani, was coming home to celebrate Lohri and boarded off the vehicle at Siot to take another passenger vehicle for further journey.
Police claimed that he was rounded up on the complaint of locals in a drunken condition.
As Sher Singh didn’t reach home, his brother came to Siot to inquire about him and people informed him that he is in police custody at Bhakar police check post.
“When brother reached the police post, he was informed that Sher Singh is unconscious (drunken) and the police taking him to Dharamshal police station for further action. But the police didn’t allow either to see his face (wrapped in the sleeping bag) nor allowed to touch Sher Singh” said a relative.
“Instead of taking Sher Singh to Dharamshal police station, the cops, including a head constable, turn the vehicle towards our village claiming that SHO instructed to drop Sher Singh at home. Just a kilometer ahead of the village the cops put Sher Singh (sleeping bag) on the roadside and left the area” said a relative.
When we opened the sleeping bag to check Sher Singh’s condition, he was not alive. We approached the senior police & civil officials/officers about the incident, but nobody turns up and the body remains on the road for the whole night” he added.
He further said that when no officer turn up, we decided to keep the body at Bhakar Police Check post to lodge our protest, but the police under a well-planned strategy stopped us at Solaki and didn’t allow us to move to Bhakar.
At Solaki, ADC Kalakot along with Additional SP, Nowshera pacified the people and assured them of a transparent probe into the suspicious death and the suspension of the erring cops and further for further investigation.
After post-mortem and medico-legal formalities, police handed over the body to legal heirs for his last rites