The death of a 28-year-old man in Rataul town, Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat district on Sunday has sparked controversy. The family alleges that he died due to police misconduct at the outpost, while the police deny the accusations.
“We have not yet received a complaint from the family. They claim he died in police custody. We will investigate once a complaint is filed,” said Deputy SP Prita Singh of Khekhda over the phone.
The family claims that three police officers from Rataul outpost took the victim, Mohd. Sajid, on Sunday morning, accusing him of participating in gambling. Sajid leaves behind a wife and three children, the oldest being seven years old.
“My son was not involved in gambling,” said Sajid’s father. “He told me he would return in a few minutes to eat mangoes together. He was just watching others play cards. However, the police arrived and took three people, including my son. While the other two were released after a preliminary inquiry, Sajid was not let go.”
In the afternoon, relatives and neighbors protested outside the Rataul outpost, demanding action against the police officers allegedly involved in what they claimed was torture under the guise of interrogation.
Baghpat Superintendent of Police Arpit Vijayvargiya stated that he has initiated an investigation. “We are awaiting the postmortem report. No complaint has been filed by the family yet. We will act according to their complaint. An inquiry has been ordered, led by the Additional SP, to verify all facts.”
“If any evidence emerges, we will take appropriate legal action,” he added.
Rajinder Singh, PRO at the Baghpat SP office, mentioned that Sajid was taken in for questioning by the police and was released after the inquiry. He returned home in good health and later passed away. The body has been sent for postmortem, and the report is pending.
Prita Singh explained, “At around 11 am, a police patrol team spotted people gambling in an orchard. They fled upon seeing the police. One man was brought in for questioning. His family arrived and scolded him for gambling before taking him home. There were no signs of injury on his body. Shortly after returning home, news of his death surfaced.”
The victim’s brother, Mohd. Sahabuddin, aged 37, stated that Sajid was in a bad state upon leaving the outpost. “Children who witnessed the incident saw the police beat him. When we brought him home, he fell unconscious and became very ill. We rushed him to the hospital, but he passed away on the way.”
Sajid was pronounced dead at the hospital, according to the family.
Sahabuddin mentioned, “We will file a complaint after the funeral. He was not involved in any criminal activities. He worked as a painter and typically earned Rs 250 to Rs 300 per day.”
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