Autopsy shows injuries on teen allegedly beaten to death by police

KANPUR: A post-mortem examination on Saturday revealed 14 injury marks on a teenage vegetable vendor who was allegedly beaten to death by policemen and a home guard in Unnao’s Bangarmau town on Friday.

Unnao’s additional superintendent of police (ASP) Shashi Shekhar Singh on Saturday said there were several injuries on his body. “I have not the report at this time. The information we have received confirms that the body bore injuries,” he said.

Those privy to the autopsy revealed that apart from the body, injuries were noticed on the head. Nature of head injuries suggested they were caused by boots, they said.

The vendor was assaulted on a road and then at the Bangarmau police station on Friday afternoon for the alleged violation of the partial corona curfew in force in the state, it was alleged.

He was selling vegetables, like many others in Bhatpuri area of Bangarmau, when the police arrived and began chasing away people. It was alleged that he was brutally beaten up inside the police station, where he was taken in an unconscious state. As his condition worsened, he was taken to the Bangarmau community health centre where he was declared dead on arrival, the family claimed.

A case of murder was registered against two policemen and a home guard after the alleged incident, which sparked a series of widespread protests. Police officers struggled in pacifying the local people who had put up a road blockade, which continued till late Friday night.

The blockade ended and the body was sent for post-mortem after officers on the spot gave a cheque for Rs 2 lakh as compensation, agreed to request the government for a compensation of Rs 50 lakh and assured early arrest of police constables and the home guard. The two constables were suspended and the home guard sacked.

Though the case was lodged with Bangarmau police in Unnao, the investigation was handed over to inspector Indrapal Singh who is currently posted at the office of the Unnao superintendent of police.

Officials said the decision was taken to maintain transparency in the investigation so that it could not be influenced at the local level.