Cop stepped on newborn, killed him, alleges Jharkhand man. CM orders probe

Giridih deputy commissioner Naman Priyesh Lakra said prima facie, it seems the allegation is false and a diversionary tactic of the accused but stressed that the child’s autopsy will establish the facts of the case

RANCHI: Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday ordered a probe into the death of a four-day-old baby after allegations that a policeman stepped on the baby during a raid to arrest the newborn’s grandfather in an assault case.

BJP leader Babulal Marandi said a team of senior police officers should be sent to the district for am impartial probe (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The incident has been reported from Giridih district 200km from state capital Ranchi.

Soren ordered the police to investigate the allegations after a widely-shared video statement emerged of a man identified as the baby’s grandfather, Bhushan Pandey.

HT cannot verify the authenticity of the video.

In this, Pandey said he managed to flee when the police recently raided his house in Koshodongo village under Deori Police station in Giridih district on Wednesday .

“I managed to flee when the police came knocking around 3.20am… But police managed to enter the house. My other family members also stepped out. The child was sleeping on one of the beds inside one of the rooms. The policemen stepped on the bed looking for me and trampled the child. When the family members went in, they saw the child dead,” Bhushan Pandey said.

The state police’s official handle responded to the chief minister on Twitter, saying the Giridih superintendent of police (SP) has been directed to probe the incident. Giridih SP Amit Renu did not respond to phone calls or text messages.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former chief minister Babulal Marandi responded to the police statement that the district SP has been told to probe the incident, saying a team of senior officers should be sent for the inquiry so that there is no coverup at the local level.

Giridih deputy commissioner Naman Priyesh Lakra said prima facie the allegation seems to be false.

“I had a word with the SP. Prima facie it seems the allegation is false and a diversionary tactic of the accused. However, autopsy of the child is being done. That will establish the fact. We will act accordingly,” Lakra said.