New Delhi: An FIR was registered against five policemen in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun over allegations of brutally torturing a young man who had been detained for questioning in May.
Rehan Shah, who has been described as 22 years old or 20 years old in reports, was taken into the Kakrala police outpost on May 2. Shah worked as a painter in New Delhi and returned to Uttar Pradesh in April. His family has alleged that police severely beat him up, gave him electric shocks and also pushed a plastic pipe through his rectum.
Police have claimed he was let go after his connection to the crime could not be established. However, Shah’s family has claimed that he was only let go after they paid a “bribe” of Rs 5,000.
Shah, who has serious injuries, underwent treatment at a Bulandshahr hospital and was released two days ago, on Jun 4. He was first taken to a district hospital which referred him to Bareilly, from where his family transferred him to a private hospital after police allegedly began turning up regularly to threaten the family into silence. Shah has been experiencing frequent seizures since the incident, it has been reported.
Indian Express has reported that the matter came to light a week ago, when Shah’s mother, Najma Begum, filed a complaint with Badaun Superintendent of Police, Dr Om Prakash Singh. The delay in lodging the complaint was allegedly because the family was being threatened, Shah’s brother has said.
Najma has alleged that Shah was picked up when he was returning home on a motorcycle on May 2. NDTV and Times of India have reported that police initially claimed that Shah was involved in cow smuggling and slaughter.
When Najma and her other son rushed to the police station, they saw cops beating Shah up. Police alleged that he had stolen his own motorcycle until the family brought the papers to prove it, the complaint says.
Even after the family showed police the vehicle’s papers, a policeman asked for Rs 5000 to release Shah.
“We went again to the police outpost and found that Rehan was not in a condition to walk,” his mother said. A cop allegedly also gave him Rs 100 to “get treatment” and threatened the family with consequences if they spoke about it.
Extremely disturbed by UP police torture case. Custodial rape of men happens far more frequently in this country than acknowledged. It's also shrouded in shame so victims rarely lodge counter complaint against the police. If any NGO is working on this, they have my full support.
— Rituparna Chatterjee (@MasalaBai) June 6, 2022
After Dataganj Circle Officer Prem Kumar Thapa looked into the matter, he found that the allegations were true, the SP told Express.
“I ordered the registration of an FIR [at Alapur police station] and a departmental inquiry against the accused policemen,” the SP said. Sections 7 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act have also been invoked against the cops.
An FIR has been lodged under sections 342 (wrongful confinement) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), among others, reported Times of India.
Advertisement— Budaun Police (@budaunpolice) June 5, 2022
Among those booked are sub-inspector Satpal Singh the outpost in-charge, and four police constables.
