80yearold dies allegedly due to police beating, cops deny

VARANASI : An 80-year-old man died after allegedly being beaten by two policemen, in Suhval village under Bansdih Road police station area of Ballia district on Sunday, villagers said.

The police, however, denied the allegation, saying that the man died a natural death.

According to villagers, the elderly man died after two police constables allegedly hit him with a cane on his head when he tried to stop them from arresting his son. The villagers said that two police constables reached the house of 80-year-old Kamleshwar Mishra to arrest his divyang (physically challenged) son Tribhuvan, who they felt was involved in selling marijuana.

They summoned him and when he came they allegedly beat him up. When Kamaleshwar tried to save his son, the constables reportedly hit him on his head.

Thereafter, he fell on the ground, said the villagers. They said the constables then stopped beating Tribhuvan and left the place immediately. After sometime, Kamleshwar died.

As the news spread in the area, locals from adjoining villages also gathered and protested the alleged police action. Soon a heavy police force was deployed in the village.

Circle officer, Bansdih, Ashok Singh said, “Police force was sent to the village after death of the elderly man under mysterious circumstances. Another son of the deceased, Kripa Shankar, gave us in writing that his father died of natural causes.”

He said the kin of elderly man didn’t get a post mortem of the body done and conducted the last rites.