Opposition Asks for Murder Probe as Suspensions Follow Dalit Man's Death in Uttar Pradesh Police Custody

New Delhi: Authorities have launched an investigation, including into the conduct of police personnel, in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district after a 22-year-old man belonging to the Dalit community accused of kidnapping a minor girl allegedly died by suicide inside a restroom at a local police station early on Monday (September 21).

The man, identified as Arjun alias Shailesh, had been booked on two separate occasions – once in July and again in August – over allegations involving the kidnapping of the same minor girl. Addressing the latest charge, the police said they had successfully traced and recovered both Arjun and the victim from Ghaziabad, following which Arjun was brought to Patti police station for further interrogation.

District police chief Deepak Bhukar said a departmental inquiry had been ordered against the station house officer (SHO) of Patti police station, Anand Pal Singh, alongside sub-inspector Omkar Singh, for gross negligence in the discharge of duty. Both officers were suspended after being found prima facie guilty of dereliction of duty, said Pratapgarh police.

Additionally, a criminal case carrying charges of murder, criminal intimidation and several sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was registered against the family members of the minor girl as well as unidentified co-accused, the police added. The content of the first information report (FIR), however, was not known.

Taking note of the incident, District Magistrate Abhishek Pandey recommended a formal magisterial probe to examine the circumstances surrounding Arjun's death.

Superintendent of Police (East) Alok Kumar said Arjun died by suicide inside a restroom within the police station complex while police were initiating further legal steps following the recovery of the minor girl.

Events leading up to Arjun's death

Earlier on July 11, a criminal complaint was lodged against Arjun after the girl’s brother reported her as missing. According to the complaint, she had woken up unexpectedly in the middle of the night on July 6 and stepped outside under the pretext of using the restroom. When she failed to return home, her brother searched the village and discovered that Arjun was missing as well, leading him to suspect that he had lured his sister away.

Arjun was subsequently booked under charges of kidnapping, abduction or inducing a woman to compel marriage. DM Pandey noted that while the initial FIR included provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, police ultimately submitted a final report in court closing the matter following inquiry.

However, on August 17, a similar complaint was submitted by the girl’s father, leading to the registration of a fresh FIR under kidnapping charges.

DM Pandey explained that after locating Arjun and the girl in Ghaziabad, police had brought him to the police station where the fatal incident occurred in the early hours of September 21. Arjun's family alleged that he had been subjected to severe mental distress due to continuous harassment by the girl’s relatives and that his death was a result of the mistreatment inflicted upon him by them, said Pandey.

An official FIR has been registered to investigate the accusations and determine whether state officials engaged in procedural lapses or operational negligence on September 22.

Emphasising strict accountability, SP Pratapgarh Deepak Bhukar affirmed that indiscipline, breach of duty or any action that degrades the dignity and credibility of the police department would not be tolerated at any level. To ensure an impartial and transparent probe, investigating officers have secured CCTV recordings from the premises alongside other key forensic evidence, police said.

Opposition leaders call for high-level, independent investigation

Reacting to the incident, Chandrashekhar Aazad, MP and leader of the Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshiram), urged the state government to initiate a high-level, independent investigation. “All CCTV footage from the police station premises and the scene of the incident must be immediately secured, and the entire sequence of events regarding Arjun's time in custody must be investigated. Additionally, the allegations of assault made by the family must be thoroughly investigated,” Aazad wrote on X.

Describing Arjun’s death as deeply distressing, grave and alarming, he posed several direct questions to the state’s Chief Minister Adityanath: “While the police claim it was a suicide using a noose made from a blanket, the deceased's family alleges that he died due to police beatings. Chief Minister @myogiadityanath ji, several serious questions arise in this matter. How did the blanket reach the young man in custody? How can one hang oneself using a blanket? Answers to these questions must be brought to light through an impartial investigation.”

Joining the criticism, the Samajwadi Party released a statement on X demanding the immediate registration of a murder case against the police personnel held responsible.

DM Pandey, meanwhile, announced that Arjun’s family would be granted monetary compensation amounting to Rs 5 lakh and added that the local administration has initiated steps to allocate a land plot to the bereaved family following their request.

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