Suspect dies, family members stage protest

LUCKNOW: Family members of Qamar Qureshi gheraoed the PGI police station on Friday, alleging his custody death.

Cops had detained Qamar, 22, and his brother Hussain Qureshi, 20, at the police station during the course of investigation of the murder of Chanchal, a transgender, who was killed on April 24.

Locals and family members also staged a demonstration and blocked the Rae Bareli road bringing vehicular movement on the busy highway to a grinding halt. The agitators ended the demonstration only after senior superintendent of police Deepak Kumar reached the spot and assured action against the cops responsible for the alleged death.

Chanchal, a transgender, was shot dead in Para area on April 22, when he was going to Ashiana in an auto-rickshaw. Two unknown assailants opened fire on Chanchal near the Barabirwa crossing resulting in his death. Chanchal’s kin said Qamar Qureshi and his brother Hussain Qureshi were detained following the murder.

“Qamar was subjected to torture by a sub-inspector Abutalib Zaidi and other cops. Late in the evening on April 28, we were summoned by the police station and the injured brothers were handed over to us. Qamar’s condition was critical. We admitted him to a private hospital, where he died on Friday,” said Mohammad Shahid, father of the deceased.

The SSP has promised action against cops after receiving the post-mortem report of the deceased. According to cops, around 100 phone calls have been detected between Qamar, Chanchal and his brother Hussain.

It was after this Qamar was detained, they added. An FIR against S-I Abutalib Zaidi and other unidentified cops has been registered, said police.