Man held for questioning in Ghaziabad dies in road accident, kin allege torture

The police said the man, identified as Dilshad Khan, was being taken in a car to Vijay Nagar police station when Khan put his head out of the vehicle, allegedly to spit, and was hit by a mini truck

The family of a 37-year-old man, who died in a road accident while being taken from a police post in Indirapuram to Vijay Nagar police station for questioning on Monday afternoon, has alleged that he died following custodial torture.

Dilshad Khan, who had a dry-cleaning business in Makanpur, used to launder the clothes of policemen posted at Abhay Khand police post, said his family. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Based on a complaint given by the family, an FIR was lodged for murder against policeman (named) from the police post and also policemen (unidentified) from Vijay Nagar police station, officers aware of the development said

The police said the man, identified as Dilshad Khan, was being taken in a car to Vijay Nagar police station when Khan put his head out of the vehicle, allegedly to spit, and was hit by a mini truck.

Khan, who had a dry-cleaning business in Makanpur, used to launder the clothes of policemen posted at Abhay Khand police post, said his family.

“The policemen called my brother to the police post around 2pm Monday and told him to bring along the laundered uniform of a policeman. When he went there and did not return, I went to the police post and heard that he was beaten up inside the police post. I ran to my house and alerted my father. Thereafter, we went to the police post but my brother was not there and the policemen there did not tell us his whereabouts. We finally went to the Indirapuram police station and the police personnel there told us that he was taken to Vijay Nagar police station for questioning in a complaint given against him,” said Naushad Khan, victim’s brother.

Police later said Dilshad was picked up in connection with a complaint given by a 26-year-old woman who alleged that he forcibly maintained physical relations with her

Khan said the policemen from Vijay Nagar police station did not tell them about the whereabouts of Dilshad till 7pm and they were finally told that he met with an accident midway on NH-9. Policemen told the family that he peeped out of the car and was hit by a passing mini truck.

“We have given our complaint that we suspect that my brother died after being beaten by the policemen,” Khan said.

Senior police officers reached Vijay Nagar police station on Monday night and inquired into the incident. They maintained that Dilshad, who was known to policemen, was brought to Vijay Nagar police station in a Swift car belonging to a sub-inspector, and his head hit a mini truck on the highway when he peeped outside to spit.

“We have registered an FIR in connection with the accident and the driver and co-driver of the truck have been arrested. The second FIR was lodged for murder against the policemen from the police post and also the policemen who were bringing Dilshad in their car to Vijay Nagar police station. His family has alleged custodial torture and death and further investigation is on. We maintain that it was a genuine case of road accident and the victim was declared brought dead when we rushed him to a private multi-specialty hospital in Ghaziabad,” said Nipun Agarwal, deputy commissioner of police (city).

The police said that they arrested truck driver Phool Singh and co-driver Praveen Kumar and booked them under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 279 (rash and negligent driving) and 304a (causing death by negligence) at Vijay Nagar police station.

The DCP said Dilshad was taken to Vijay Nagar police station in connection with a complaint given by a 26-year-old woman who alleged that he forcibly maintained physical relations with her.