Shahjahanpur horror: Thrashed over theft suspicion, transport agency manager dies; 3 others claim torture
The incident came to light on Wednesday when a purported video showing Shivam tied to a pole and wincing in pain as a man beats him with iron rod went viral on social media platforms.
LUCKNOW A 33-year-old Shahjahanpur-resident, identified as Shivam Jauhari (alias Anshul), succumbed to his injuries after being ‘thrashed, electrocuted, and tortured’ by the owner of a transport company and others over suspicion of theft. The incident came to light on Wednesday when a purported video showing Shivam tied to a pole and wincing in pain as a man beats him with iron rod went viral on social media platforms.
Along with Shivam, three other transport employees were subjected to similar brutalities as their employer and the owner of hosiery shop and his aides accused them of stealing cloth bundles. It is alleged that the four employees of the Shahjahapur-based transport agency were hanged from the fifth floor of a building, given electric shocks by putting live wires in swimming pool, and thrashed with an iron rod.
Taking cognisance of the gruesome incident, police have lodged an FIR under IPC sections of torture and murder based on the complaint made by Shivam’s father at the Sadar police station on Wednesday. Further investigation is underway into the case.
Sharing further details, Shahjahanpur’s senior superintendent of police (SSP) S Anand said that victim Shivam Jauhari had been working as a manager in Suri Transports for the past seven years. The alleged torture of four employees took place at the hosiery shop office on Tuesday afternoon. So far, seven people -- including the transport company owner Bankim Suri and Neeraj Gupta, the owner of Kanhaiya hosiery -- have been booked in connection with the case.
The senior cop revealed that the post-mortem report of the deceased has confirmed that he was tortured. Multiple signs of injuries were reported in the report. Police are now verifying the authenticity of the viral video of the incident in which some people are seen torturing the victim. Further action will be taken accordingly, he added.
Meanwhile, the three other transport agency employees -- Ram Niwas, Raghuveer, and Sanju -- who claim torture have come forward as eyewitnesses to the thrashing of Shivam. Ram Niwas said they all were called up at the transport agency office on Tuesday after it was found that a few cloth bundles of hosiery shop were stolen from its godown. The hosiery shop owner and his aides, in presence of the transport agency owner, tortured all of them and forced them to accept that they stole the bundles.
Another victim Raghuveer said that the hosiery shop owner and his aides thrashed him and his three co-workers after tying them to an iron pole. He added that they were hanged from the fifth floor of the building and given electric shocks by putting live wires in the swimming pool.
Speaking on the incident, Sadar police station in-charge Amit Pandey has said that the statements of all employees will be recorded and verified before initiating action against the owners of the transport company and the hosiery shop. He said that the preliminary investigation has revealed that a man, identified as Keshav, got his son Shivam admitted at district hospital where he died during the treatment. “We were informed about his death several hours after the incident,” he added.
