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Death in police custody: CCTV footage shows victim’s health deteriorating in lock-up
The 1 minute-17 second video on social media shows Mohit Pandey, a school dress trader, lying on the floor of the lock-up in the presence of seven other inmates.
A day after a 32-year-old man’s death in police custody, CCTV footage surfaced on Sunday showing his health deteriorating in the Chinhat police station lock-up.
The 1 minute-17 second video on social media shows Mohit Pandey, a school dress trader, lying on the floor of the lock-up in the presence of seven other inmates.
The video also showed his brother Shobharam Pandey, who was also taken into custody and kept in the same lock-up, trying to help his brother by rubbing his shoulders and crying out for help.
The video ends with other inmates asking for police help. In response, a water bottle is being seen given for Mohit Pandey. It is then handed over to him by Shobharam. There was no official police reaction to the video.
Earlier, chief medical superintendent (CMS) Dr Vikram Singh of Ram Manohar Lohia hospital confirmed that Mohit Pandey was brought dead at the hospital around 2.30pm on Saturday.
Mohit’s death comes 15 days after a Dalit man, Aman Gautam, died in police custody in Lucknow.
For their part, Mohit’s family members alleged he was tortured in custody. But police officials have refuted the allegation. Hours after the incident, an FIR was lodged late Saturday night against station house officer of Chinhat police station Ashwini Kumar Chaturvedi, one Adesh (the porter with whom a dispute took place after which police picked up Mohit and his brother), his uncle and unidentified others on the charges of murder after a complaint filed by the deceased’s mother Tapeshwari Devi. The charges in the FIR include Section 103(1) (murder) and 61/2 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
FAMILY STAGES PROTEST WITH BODY,
DEMANDS CBI PROBE
Mohit’s kin, including his wife, staged a protest in front of the Mantri Awas in Vibhuti Khand with the body on Saturday and refused to cremate till justice is done. They also sought a CBI probe. The police initially tried to persuade them, but as the protest grew, they transported the body to Mohit’s home in the Chinhat area.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party leader Pooja Shukla also reached to protest the incident and staged a sit-in but the police took her into custody. BJP MLA from BKT Yogesh Shukla also arrived on the scene, assuring the family of a meeting with chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
“The news of the death of Mohit Pandey in police custody in Chinhat Police station is very sad and unfortunate. Today, I reached the residence of the victim’s family in Vibhav Khand, Gomti Nagar and met the bereaved family members and assured them all possible help and get justice by getting a high-level investigation done of the incident. I also made the victim’s family talk to deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathakup on phone, who assured that the family will get justice and as much help as possible,” said Shukla on his X handle.
“I pray to God to give peace to the departed soul and strength to the family to bear this unbearable loss,” Shukla further wrote.
PRIYANKA, AKHILESH ATTACK GOVT
Opposition leaders attacked the Yogi government with both SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra questioning the death in police custody.
“In Lucknow, UP, the police detained two youths and one died the next morning. This is the second death in UP police custody in a fortnight. The family alleges that the police murdered their son. Uttar Pradesh ranks first in the country in terms of deaths in custody. The BJP has established such a jungle raj in the state where police have become synonymous with brutality,” Priyanka wrote in Hindi on X.
It further read, “Where the lawkeepers themselves are taking lives, from whom should the public expect justice?”
Meanwhile, Yadav wrote on X, “In the last 16 days, this is the second news of death (read murder) in police custody in the capital of UP. The government, which is an expert in changing names, should now change the name of ‘police custody’ to ‘torture house’. Every demand of the victim’s family should be fulfilled, we are with them.”
