UP Cops sent to lines for beating student on theft suspicion

Four cops, posted at Banthra police station, were sent to police lines on Monday for thrashing an 18-year-old student in the police station for alleged theft suspicion on Saturday.

“The student was picked up by the cops on suspension over a bike (bullet) theft. They misbehaved with him for which they have been sent to police lines. The probe is underway by the ACP Krishna Nagar Vinay Kumar Dwivedi,” said Shashank Singh, Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) South.

He said that police had found no evidence against the child.

The victim Paras Srivastava is a class 12 student. His father Bhola Srivastava, a farmer in Banthra, in his complaint alleged that on Saturday the police forcibly took his son to the police station and beat him badly when he was on his way back home from the coaching institute.

He alleged that the cops thrashed him inside the police station in the absence of SHO.

However, action against the cops was taken on orders of the senior police officials when the family protested over the matter.

Those who were sent to lines, included two sub-inspectors Vijay Pratap Singh and Balveer Singh and two constables Ujjwal Mishra Abhijeet Kumar of Banthara police station.

SHO Banthra Upendra Singh said that the boy was taken to police station for questioning but did not share the exact reason why the student was picked up on his way from coaching to home.

However, the victim said, “The police asked me about my mobile phone that was it a stolen item. Despite telling them that the phone was brought by my brother, they checked my bag and started questioning me again. Later they started thrashing me. They did not even allow me to make calls to my family.”

The father of the victim in his complaint said, “My son got multiple injuries on his body and on his private parts while he kept asking cops about his crime.”

Bhola said that they took Paras to a nearby community health centre where they denied him admission due to a police case. Paras was then admitted to a private hospital.

“We along with locals protested there but no action was taken by the police. Later, we approached the assistant commissioner of police Krishna Nagar after which the policemen were sent to lines,” said the father.

He said that his son has been undergoing treatment for his neuro problem at a private hospital for the last one year. “He is deeply affected by the trauma after cops thrashed him using belts and sleepers,” said the father.

ACP Krishna Nagar Vinay Kumar Dwivedi was unavailable for comments on the matter despite reaching out to him multiple times.