Kasganj custodial death: Yogi govt orders magisterial probe

The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the death of a youth in police custody at the Kotwali Police Station in Kasganj.

The deceased youth, who was identified as Altaf, was detained after a girl went missing in the district. According to police, he was called for questioning at Kasganj police station in a kidnapping case. He, however, died inside the lock-up.

Police said that Altaf strangulated himself using a string from his jacket hood in the washroom of the police lock-up.

Superintendent of Police, Kasganj, Rohan Pramod Botre said that during interrogation, Altaf had requested the policemen to go to the washroom and was allowed to use the washroom inside the lock-up. He was wearing a black colour jacket. He tried to strangulate himself with a string on the (jacket) hood that he tied to the tap of the toilet. When he did not return for some time, the policemen went inside and found him unconscious. He was rushed to the community health centre where he died.

However, Altaf's family members alleged that he was killed by police inside the lock-up.

The opposition too has attacked the Yogi Adityanath government. Samajwadi Party called the incident another misdeed of UP"s "thoko (trigger-happy) police".

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said, "Kasganj incident is before you...Altaf's father was told that his son died by suicide in the Police station by hanging himself from a 2.5 ft high water tap with the help of a string in his hoodie. Kasganj Police killed him. You do not know to investigate but to murder."

Meanwhile, five policemen have been suspended for negligence in the wake of the incident.