The Kasganj police in Uttar Pradesh has issued a statement, revealing that Altaf, the 22-year-old youth accused of kidnapping a minor Hindu girl, strangulated himself with a drawstring attached to the hood of his jacket in the washroom of the police lock-up. The youth was found dead at the Sadar Kotwali of Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh on November 9, Tuesday.
Altaf, a resident of Ahroli village in Kasganj district, was working as a tile fixer. He was accused of abduction and eloping with a minor girl and a complaint in this regard had been filed by the girl’s family.
ADG Zone Agra, Rajeev Krishna in a sound byte, informed that accused Altaf was picked up on November 8, Monday, for questioning on a complaint filed by one Vinod Bhardwaj, a resident of Kasganj, who accused Altaf of kidnapping their 16-year-old daughter. When Altaf was being interrogated the next day (Tuesday, November 9), at around 2:30 pm, he went to the toilet, where he tried to strangulate himself by tying the drawstring of his hoodie to the tap in the washroom.
He was breathing when the police rushed him to the nearest medical centre. He was alive for the next 10-15 minutes at the hospital before passing away, said IPS Rajeev Krishna.
Altaf’s body was handed over to his kin, who performed his last rites and buried him according to the Muslim customs on November 10, Wednesday.
Rajeev Krishna further added that five police officers including SHO Virendra Singh, two sub-inspectors and two constables have been suspended for negligence and a magisterial inquiry has been ordered.
The Kasganj police reiterated that five police personnel were suspended for their negligence in the custodial death case. A judicial inquiry will be conducted into the incident and further course of action will be decided based on the findings.
Kasganj Police had on November 9, Tuesday, the day the incident transpired, also shared a sound byte where SP Botre Rohan Pramod was heard narrating the exact sequence of events. He had revealed that “one Altaf (of Nagla Syed locality) was called for questioning in Kasganj police station in a case related to IPC section 363 (kidnapping) and 366 (kidnapping, abducting or inducing a woman to compel her marriage) on Tuesday morning.
During interrogation, he requested the policemen to go to the washroom and was allowed to use the washroom inside the lockup.
He was wearing a black colour jacket. He tried to strangulate himself with a string on the (jacket) hood that he tied to the tap of the toilet. When he did not return for some time, the policemen went inside and found him unconscious. He was rushed to the community health centre, Ashok Nagar in Kasganj, where he died,” the SP said.
“Postmortem of the victim is being conducted”, the SP had then said, adding that the lax policemen will be punished. “We have suspended five policemen in this connection,” he added.
Autopsy report of Altaf confirms death by hanging: Kasganj police
The Kasganj police also said that the autopsy reports of Altaf confirmed death by hanging.
According to ASP AK Singh, the accused’s body was sent for a post-mortem examination which was conducted by a panel of three doctors. “Asphyxia because of hanging has been cited as the cause of death in the post-mortem report. The body was handed over to family members who conducted the last rites on Wednesday,” added the ASP.
The Kasganj police also confirmed that they also had a written statement by Altaf’s family saying he was suffering from depression.
Altaf’s father says he is satisfied with the police action
On Tuesday night, Altaf’s father, Chand Mian, accused the police of killing his son. However, he later admitted in a video that he was upset at the moment and didn’t intend what he said. “I spoke to doctors, police, and came to know Altaf died by suicide. Police took him to the hospital as well. I am satisfied with the police action,” said Chand Mian.
The accused knew the minor girl who went missing, Kasganj police and accused’s family confirms
The police had revealed that during the interrogation Altaf had confessed that he knew the minor girl. Kasganj SP Botre Rohan Pramod said that they had found that Altaf and the girl had an affair, but had fallen out.
“Altaf told us that they had been in a relationship,” the SP said, adding that they had evidence to back up their claim. According to sources, the minor’s relatives has shared a video of Altaf with the authorities. Altaf was recruited as a labourer by the girl’s family when they were getting some construction work done at their house five months ago, revealed to police.
Altaf’s uncle Shakir Ali also attested to Kasganj police’s statement, confirming that Altaf knew the girl. He, however, said that Altaf had “nothing to do” with the minor’s disappearance.
The girl’s family, however, denied that she knew the accused.
On Tuesday, following Altaf’s custodial death, Chand Mian had demanded that police answer how Altaf had died. “Police told me they suspected my son in the case and wanted to question him. I handed my son to the police, who came to my house. When I went to the station, they turned me back. After 24 hours, police say my son hanged himself. It was the police that hanged my son.”
The police, in turn, had said that Altaf’s family had given them in writing that he was suffering from depression. Acting SHO of Kotwali Police Station Ramesh Prasad said the autopsy report stated death due to hanging.
On allegations of police torture, SP Pramod said: “The (Kotwali) Police Station is situated virtually in the middle of the city. It is a busy thana frequented by people. It is not possible Altaf was beaten up without there being eyewitnesses.”
Opposition parties attack UP govenment over the custodial death
After the incident came to the fore, oppositions parties have been using it to attack the state government led by Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh. Despite being confirmed that the youth died by suicide, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav Tweeted: “The death of a young person in police custody appears to be suspicious.” Suspension of a few cops on the grounds of negligence is a cover-up.”
“There needs to be a judicial probe so that family members of the deceased can get justice and trust could be re-established in police under the BJP regime,” he added.
Using the opportunity to launch a blistering attack at the BJP government in the state ahead of the upcoming state Assembly elections, Samajwadi Party said that under BJP rule, Uttar Pradesh ranks first in terms of custodial deaths. The party announced that it would be providing compensation of Rs 5 lakhs to the bereaved family of Altaf.
The AIMIM of Asaduddin Owaisi was quick to capitalise on the situation by playing the Muslim victim card. A press statement by the AIMIM read: “Custodial death must be viewed as an extension of the rampant police killings of innocent Muslims, Dalits and tribals in the name of police encounters.”
“Making a mockery of constitutional procedures and police code of conducts, chief minister Yogi Adityanath gives calls for ‘thok denge’, thereby giving a free hand to the police to kill. Our national president Asaduddin Owaisi said in his speech in Balrampur – of all the people encountered by the UP Police, 37% were Muslims,” added the press statement.
