Four days after the death of 22-year-old Altaf in police custody in Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh Police registered an FIR against unidentified policemen under murder charges. The FIR lodged on the complaint of the victim’s father Chand Miyan said the police picked up his son for questioning on Monday at around 8 p.m. when he was eating dinner.
“I followed him to the police chowki but I was sent back. The next day, we were told that Altaf has ended his life by hanging himself in the washroom of Sadar police station. It is not possible for a 5 feet tall boy to hang from a two feet high water tap. My son had been murdered according to a conspiracy in the police station,” said Mr Chand in the FIR.
He further said he was pressurised by officials to apply a thumb impression on a letter which he was later told absolved the police of the responsibility of the death of his son in the police station.
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Discrepancies have emerged in the police version from the first day. Now it has appeared that the FIR against Altaf was lodged at 4 p.m., at least an hour after he passed away. The post mortem report says that the autopsy started at 11 p.m. and that “rigor mortis was present all over the body.”
Senior police sources admitted there have been discrepancies in the police version and more than that there seemed to be a hurry to arrive at a conclusion. “Even partial hanging requires a height of at lest 5-6 feet,” said a senior officer.
According to the police version, Altaf was called to the police station in connection with a kidnapping FIR of a minor Hindu girl in whose house he worked as a mason on Tuesday morning. During questioning, he asked to go to the washroom where he hung himself from the water pipeline, using the string of the hood of his jacket.
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Five policemen were suspended and a magisterial inquiry was ordered.
Speaking to The Hindu , Mr Chand said the police came along with three people from the girl’s family, one of whom threatened to severe the head of his son. “When I reached the police chowki, I could sense that my son is being tortured but I was sent back by the police. When we received the body, it had swelling on the feet, apart from a mark on the neck.”
Meanwhile, various theories are being floated. Apart from Altaf, the police have accused an unidentified person in the FIR. Police sources claimed that the Altaf helped the girl elope with that boy and entered the police station after ingesting a poisonous substance. Sources close to Altaf’s family said it was a case of honour killing where the local police succumbed to the pressure from the girl’s father who is into the dairy business. “Why has the girl has not been recovered so far” asked Waseem, a neighbour of Altaf.