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Two police officials booked for kidnapping and wrongful confinement of ‘missing’ teen
The court of chief judicial magistrate (Pauri Garhwal) Ravi Prakash on November 2 issued directions to register the FIR against the two police officials for their “suspicious role” in the matter
The Pauri Garhwal police late on Thursday registered an FIR against former Lakshman Jhula police station in-charge Santosh Singh Kunwar and Tapovan police sub-post in-charge Aashish Sharma on charges of kidnapping and wrongful confinement in the ‘missing’ case of a 19-year-old youth from Uttarkashi who allegedly jumped into the Ganga river after fleeing police custody.
The court of chief judicial magistrate (Pauri Garhwal) Ravi Prakash on November 2 issued directions to register the FIR against the two police officials for their “suspicious role” in the matter.
Kedar Singh Bhandari, the Agniveer aspirant, had left his home in Uttarkashi on August 18 to participate in the recruitment rally in Kotdwar two days later. On August 21, the victim checked into a Tapovan hotel, The Lily, along with his friends.
“On August 22 at around 11.30 am, the victim’s elder brother Gambhir received a call that Kedar is lodged at Tapon police sub-post. Gambhir reached the same day, but officials said his brother was not there. Meanwhile, the victim’s father informed Gambhir that he received a call from then SHO Santosh Singh Kunwar that Kedar jumped into the Ganga after escaping from the police custody. The father, Lakshman Singh, alleged that police didn’t inform them on what charges they had arrested Kedar. The police failed to produce the facts corroborate their claims. The victim’s father suspected that a serious offence was inflicted on his son and the police concocted a story to cover up, and also alleged that on August 26 he went to Lakshman Jhula police to file a complaint but his complaint was not accepted,” the FIR stated.
Srinagar circle officer Shyam Dutt Nautiyal has been assigned the investigation.
The victim’s father filed an application in the court under Section 156(3) CrPC, seeking directions to the police for the registration of FIR.
On October 3, the victim’s father met Uttarakhand director general of police Ashok Kumar seeking justice for his son. On the same day, Kunwar was removed from his post and ADGP (law and order) V Murugeshan ordered DIG (Garhwal) Karan Singh Nagnyal to conduct a probe into the matter.
