Gujarat: 17-year-old Muslim boy critical after alleged custodial torture
Ahmedabad: A 17-year-old Muslim boy is in critical condition at a private hospital in Ahmedabad after his family alleged that he was illegally detained, beaten, sexually abused, and denied medical treatment during nine days in police custody in Gujarat’s Botad district.
The teenager, identified as Makhiala, was the sole breadwinner for his grandparents and two sisters after the death of his parents. According to his family, Botad Town police detained him on August 19 on suspicion of theft but failed to produce him before a magistrate. They claim he was tortured until he suffered kidney failure.
Police officials have denied arresting or detaining him. A district officer contacted through phone by The Maktoob Media refuted the allegations but declined to provide his name.
Family members allege that officers from the police station’s D-staff unit picked him up from a local fair. For two days they believed he was missing, until police informed them he was being questioned. The family says he was beaten daily for nine days, while his grandfather, who tried to intervene, was also assaulted and kept in custody for six days.
When his condition worsened, police reportedly shifted him to Botad Civil Hospital between August 28 and September 1, telling the family he had been bitten by a snake or insect. Later, he was moved to Zydus Hospital in Ahmedabad, where doctors confirmed severe injuries and kidney damage. He remains unconscious and on dialysis.
The boy’s uncle further alleged that police took ₹50,000 saved by his sisters under the guise of investigation.
A video of his grandparents and sister accusing police of torture has gone viral, sparking outrage on social media. The Gujarat-based Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) has written to the Director General of Police demanding suspension of the officers, preservation of CCTV footage from the police station, and an independent medical examination.
“This culture of impunity must end. The guilty police personnel should be punished,” said Mujahid Nafees of MCC, accusing the police of violating the Supreme Court’s DK Basu guidelines on custodial safeguards.
This is not the first such case in Botad. In 2023, a Muslim youngster, Kalu Padharshi, was allegedly beaten to death in custody. Three policemen were later jailed in connection with that incident.
Makhiala’s family has also approached the Juvenile Justice Board alleging sexual abuse but say their complaint was dismissed after officials claimed he was not a minor. His relatives insist they want justice, not money.
“We will go to every extent to get justice for our beloved child,” said his uncle.
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Road crash in UP leaves 10 dead
Lakhimpur Kheri (UP) (PTI): Ten people were killed when a van collided head-on with a truck on the Sisaiya-Lakhimpur national highway on Monday, police said.
The van was going to Sisaiya from Lakhimpur when the accident took place between Unchgaon and Bharehta villages.
Circle Officer of Dhaurahra, Shamsher Bahadur Singh, said all nine passengers travelling in the van and the driver were killed.
District Magistrate of Lakhimpur Kheri Anjani Kumar Singh told reporters that the van collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction, leading to nine casualties on the spot, while one succumbed to injuries at the district hospital.
Circle Officer, Dhaurahra, Shamsher Bahadur Singh told PTI, "Efforts are on to establish the identity of other deceased persons."
The seven of the deceased have been identified as Jaideep Singh (25), Pawan (23), Sohan (21), Ram Goyal (42), Sahajram (35), Pappu (18), all residents of Bahraich district and Adnan Khan (15), a resident of Lakhimpur Kheri district, police said.
Condoling the loss of lives in the accident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a post on X, said, "The loss of life in the unfortunate road accident in Lakhimpur Kheri district is deeply distressing and heart-wrenching. My condolences are with the bereaved families."
"I have directed the local administration to provide prompt and adequate assistance to the injured and the victims. I pray to Lord Shri Ram to grant the departed souls a place at His divine feet and to bestow a speedy recovery upon the injured," Adityanath said on X.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak too condoled the loss of lives in the accident.
"The loss of lives resulting from the road accident in Lakhimpur Kheri district is deeply tragic and heart-wrenching. My deepest condolences go out to the bereaved families," Maurya said.
