Youth dies in Chhatarpur police custody:Murder or suicide? uncle questions how one can hang while sitting

He was the only earning member of the house. He wasn’t even married. That day, without any reason, without any complaint, the policemen came and took my son away, then only his dead body returned home. They said he hanged himself, but they killed my son. Saying this, tears would not stop flowing from Rajesh Patel’s mother’s eyes. Her voice chokes, and she further says, “I don’t understand anything, I won’t be able to talk further.” In fact, Rajesh died in police custody on February 14. According to the family, the Rajnagar police station officers had picked up Rajesh from Imilia village. By evening, the news reached the family that Rajesh was no longer in this world. In its story, the police stated that Rajesh committed suicide by hanging himself from the window grill in the women’s cell of the police station, but the family and villagers are completely rejecting this. Their direct allegation is that the police brutally beat Rajesh and demanded a bribe of 50,000 rupees to release him. While the family was arranging for money, he was beaten to death. So far, two constables and the station in-charge have been suspended in this case, and a magisterial inquiry into the matter is ongoing. After all, for what crime was Rajesh Patel brought to the police station? Was there any complaint or FIR registered against him? What is the real reason for his death? To find answers to all these questions, the Dainik Bhaskar team reached Imilia village. They spoke with villagers, family members, and responsible officials. Read the report. Grief spread in Imilia village
When Bhaskar’s team reached Imilia village, about 40 kilometers away from Chhatarpur district headquarters, silence prevailed in the village. When we asked for Rajesh Patel’s house address, a villager pointed towards the inside of the village. When we reached Rajesh’s house, grief had spread there. A large number of people were sitting silently outside a small mud house. Among them was Rajesh’s father, Kishori Lal Patel, whose stony eyes were expressing the pain of losing his young son. Family members and neighbors were trying to console him, but despair and helplessness were clearly visible in their words. They still haven’t been able to find out what their child’s fault was? Why has no strict action been taken against the policemen accused of murder, apart from suspension? 14 February: The full story of that ominous day Morning scene: Police took him from the field
To find out what actually happened that day, we spoke to Dharmendra Kumar Soni, a resident of the village and an eyewitness to the incident. Dharmendra says, ‘That morning I was standing outside my house. Just then, a police vehicle arrived and started apprehending Rajesh’s younger brother, Rajan. We all asked why they were holding him, to which the policemen replied that until Rajesh was found, they would take him. We said, “Rajesh is in the field, we will take you there, leave him.” Dharmendra and some villagers took the police towards the field. There, Rajesh was sitting comfortably and eating papaya. He had no idea that the next few hours would prove to be the last hours of his life. Dharmendra recounts, “As soon as the policemen saw Rajesh, they started beating him without saying anything. I tried to stop them and said, ‘Whatever the matter is, talk about it, why are you resorting to violence?’” Screams in the police station and a bribe deal
Rajesh’s father, Kishori Lal Patel, recounts in a trembling voice, “When we reached the police station, we could hear Rajesh’s screams coming from the adjacent room. They were brutally beating him. We went inside and said, ‘Don’t hit our child, at least tell us his crime.’ But they didn’t listen to us. I couldn’t bear my child’s screams, so I walked a little distance away from the police station.” Dharmendra further states that when they went inside again and pleaded with the policemen not to beat him, a policeman named Ankit Dwivedi, who was present there, started to negotiate. He said, “Give one lakh rupees and take him.” We said, “He is from a very poor family, where will he get so much money from?” After much pleading, the deal was settled for 50,000 rupees. Dharmendra recalls, “Rajesh had told us that these people would kill him. We reassured him that nothing would happen, the matter was settled, we were just bringing the money. By then, he had been beaten, but his condition seemed stable. Since the policemen were not ready to accept money online and poor Kishori Lal only had two-three thousand rupees in his pocket at that time, they went back to the village to collect the money. Waiting for Evening and News of Death
In the evening, when the family and villagers arranged the money and reached the police station, they were stopped outside with the explanation that the SDOP’s vehicle was parked inside, and he was inside. No one will go inside now, wait outside. The family thought that their son would now be released, so they sat at a nearby tea shop and started waiting. Dharmendra says, ‘In no time, many police vehicles started coming and going at the police station. We couldn’t understand what was happening. Around 6 PM, we learned from media persons that Rajesh had died inside the police station. Hearing this, the ground slipped from under our feet. We immediately called the village, and in no time, hundreds of villagers gathered at the police station. Injury marks on the body and police cover-up? Uncle’s claim: Not hanging, this is murder Rajesh’s uncle, Babulal Patel, recalling that dreadful night, says that late at night, the SDOP and the Magistrate called him inside. He saw that Rajesh was tied to a window grill and was sitting in a squatting position. His body was on the ground, not hanging in the air. They told him that his son had committed suicide by hanging. He immediately responded, “Sir, if he had died by hanging, how could he be sitting on the ground? His body would have been hanging up.” Babulal further explained that he showed the Magistrate, “Look, clear marks of injury are visible on his body, which came from a beating during the day.” When he lifted Rajesh’s shirt and showed both his hands, there were deep blue marks on them. There were also injuries on his face. Cousin’s Revelation: The entire body was covered in injuries
What Rajesh’s cousin, Likhit Patel, revealed is even more shocking. When we were bathing Rajesh before taking him to the pyre, I carefully examined his entire body. There were large black marks in many places on his body. There were injury marks on both his arms and legs, chest, back, and even his calves. We wanted to make a video of his injuries, but the police did not allow us to do so. There was so much police in the village that day that everyone was scared, so we couldn’t do anything. But I saw all the injuries on his body with my own eyes. Police’s suspicious role and unresolved questions Conspiracy before arrest?
Kishori Lal Patel states that a few days before this incident, two people in civil dress were roaming in the village and inquiring about Rajesh. When the villagers informed them about this, his brother and the sarpanch went to Rajnagar police station and asked the station in-charge why Rajesh was being searched for. It is alleged that the station in-charge abused them and drove them away, saying to send Rajesh, and they would tell him. One day after this, the police tried to drag their younger son Rajan from home, who was released after showing his Aadhaar card. Police’s evasive answer The role of the police in this entire incident has been suspicious from the beginning. The police have not yet been able to clarify on what charge Rajesh was picked up. They are only talking about “preventive action,” but are not stating what the case was and why he was not produced before the SDM within 24 hours. ASP admitted ‘mistake’, but denied murder In this matter, we spoke to Chhatarpur ASP Aditya Patle. Question: Is the incident at Rajnagar police station suicide or murder?
Answer: Look, this is a custodial death. We immediately informed the District Judge, and a judicial inquiry into the matter is now underway. The post-mortem was conducted by a panel of doctors, and videography was also done. Prima facie, it appears to be a case of hanging, but the actual cause of death will only be clear after the post-mortem report is received. Question: On what charge was Rajesh picked up?
Answer: He was brought in based on a complaint application. Since the matter is under judicial inquiry, we cannot provide much information at this time. Question: Why was he kept in the women’s room, where there was no camera?
Answer: This is a ‘lapse’. Women’s desks do not have cameras due to privacy concerns. Keeping the accused there is a disciplinary lapse, for which the Station House Officer has been suspended. Question: The constables who picked him up, had they already been transferred? Answer: He was transferred, but his departure was not recorded. This is also an oversight by the station in charge, on which action has been taken. Both constables have also been suspended.