40-year-old man found hanging inside police lock-up in Delhi, kin allege custodial torture
New Delhi: A 40-year-old man arrested on charges of raping a minor girl was allegedly found hanging with a bedsheet inside the lock-up of Samaypur Badli police station following which a constable has been suspended, police said on Sunday.
Constable Yashveer, who was posted in sentry duty in Samaypur Badli police station where the man was found hanging, has been placed on suspension for the negligence, police said.
The family members of the deceased alleged that police thrashed him inside the lock-up and also forced him to consume liquor. Police, however, refuted the allegations.
According to police, the matter came to notice on Saturday, when a complaint was received against Dharmendra at Swaroop Nagar police station alleging him of entering a neighbour's house and raping a 14-year-old girl who was alone at her house while her mother, a labourer, was out for work.
With the minor girl's father having passed away, her mother is the only earning member of their family.
Based on her complaint, a case under Section 376 (punishment for rape), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was registered.
The accused was arrested after he was found hiding at the house of his relative in Samaypur Badli area, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Gaurav Sharma said.
After being arrested in connection with the rape case, the accused was lodged in a lock-up of Samaypur Badli police station since there is no lock-up in Swaroop Nagar police station, he claimed.
On Sunday, the accused hanged himself with a bedsheet tied around the bars of the lock-up gate. He was immediately rushed to Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital but was declared brought dead by the doctors, the officer said.
The Metropolitan Magistrate has been informed regarding the incident and proceedings are being carried out as per law. CCTV footage has also been preserved to facilitate the enquiry, the DCP said.
The police said the accused was previously convicted in a case of sodomy registered at Alipur police station, wherein he entered the house of a 10 year-old boy and forcefully committed sodomy on him.
He had also been convicted in a case of murder-cum-robbery registered at Khajuri Khas police station.
The deceased man's lawyer Rakesh Kaushik said Dharmendra was in jail for the last five-six years in connection with a case of murder but was out on parole in the last five months.
He said, "The man was brought to Swaroop Nagar police station by police personnel for questioning but around 11.30 pm, his relatives got a call asking them to visit Dharmendra at the police station. The family has alleged that the victim was tortured and beaten up inside the lock-up and was also made to consume alcohol."
But on Sunday morning, his family was informed that he died by suicide inside the lock-up at Samaypur Badli police station, the lawyer said.
Neeraj, one of Dharmendra's nephew, accused the police of thrashing his uncle inside the lock-up and also forcing him to consume liquor.
He said, "My uncle had come out on parole a few months back. Around 6.30 pm, an ASI from Swaroop Nagar police station arrived at our home and enquired about my uncle. Later, we were informed by police that our uncle was in Swaroop Nagar police station.
"Yet, when we reached there, we saw he was beaten up and even forced to consume liquor. But today morning, we were informed that he committed suicide in Samaypur Baldi police station."
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
About 69 per cent turnout recorded in Karnataka's first phase of polling
Bengaluru, Apr 26: Voting was held on Friday for the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka, in 14 constituencies, with an estimated over 69 per cent turnout, as the Congress and BJP locked horns again on the electoral battleground in less than a year.
According to poll officials, an approximate 69.23 per cent of the voters cast their ballot.
"This is tentative. It will vary slightly based on the detailed reports of the PRO (Presiding Officer)," an official said.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the same 14 segments in the first phase had recorded a turnout of 68.80 per cent.
Out of 14 segments that went to polls on Friday, the highest turnout of 81.48 per cent was recorded in Mandya, followed by Kolar 78.07 per cent, and the least 52.81 per cent in Bangalore Central.
The turnout was 54.42 per cent in Bangalore North, and 53.15 per cent in Bangalore South, amid indications of continued voter apathy in the city.
Bangalore Rural that is witnessing a tough contest between Congress' D K Suresh, MP and brother of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, and Dr C N Manjunath, a noted cardiologist and son-in-law of former PM H D Deve Gowda, on a BJP ticket, has recorded 67.29 per cent.
Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena told PTI that barring an incident in Chamarajanagara district, the election process was peaceful in the state.
The Electronic Voting Machines were destroyed at a polling station in Indiganatha village in Chamarajanagara district during a clash between two groups of people over whether to vote or not in the Lok Sabha elections, bringing the poll process to a halt.
According to the district administration, the villagers had earlier in the day decided to boycott the polls citing lack of adequate infrastructure development. However, after assurances and efforts by the local officials, a section of them agreed to vote, while the other was keen to boycott leading to clashes between them during which they destroyed EVMs, and also indulged in stone-pelting.
Reacting to the incident, Meena said, "Tomorrow, the returning officer in the presence of the observer will do the scrutiny and then they will recommend (further course of action.)"
A total of 247 candidates -- 226 men and 21 women -- are in the fray for the first phase covering most of the southern and coastal districts, where more than 2.88 crore voters were eligible to exercise their franchise in 30,602 polling stations.
Friday's elections witnessed a straight fight between the ruling Congress and the BJP-JD(S) combine unlike the Assembly elections in May last year which witnessed a triangular contest among the three parties.
In the first phase, the Congress contested in all 14 seats, while BJP fielded nominees in 11 and its alliance partner JD(S), which joined the National Democratic Alliance in (NDA) in September last year, in three -- Hassan, Mandya and Kolar.
Besides the three, the segments where elections were held on Friday are: Udupi-Chikmagalur, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Bangalore Rural, Bangalore North, Bangalore Central, Bangalore South and Chikkballapur.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Congress and JD(S), which were in alliance and ruling the state back then, had secured just one seat each in these 14 segments. The BJP had won in 11 and ensured the victory of a party supported independent candidate in Mandya.
Other than Suresh and Manjunath, the latter's brother-in-law and JD(S) state President H D Kumaraswamy from Mandya, erstwhile Mysuru royal family scion Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar from Mysore, from the BJP, are among the prominent candidates in the fray in the first phase.
Also in the contest are BJP MP Tejasvi Surya from Bangalore South against Minister Ramalinga Reddy's daughter Sowmya Reddy of Congress, and Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje on BJP ticket from Bangalore North against former Indian Institute of Management Bangalore professor M V Rajeev Gowda of Congress.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said there is no "Modi wave" in Karnataka, but there is one in favour of Congress government's guarantee schemes, as he claimed his party will win about 20 out of total 28 Lok Sabha polls in the state.
Asked as to how many seats the Congress will win out of 14 seats in the first phase, the chief minister said, "it cannot be said correctly as of now, as it is a secret ballot, but we will win majority seats."
Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress president, said he has got reports that the party will win more than 20 seats in Karnataka.
"In the first phase, Congress will win 10 of the 14 seats that went to polls today. This is not astrological predictions; this is based on political acumen and data," he said.
Kumaraswamy said the outcome of the elections will be in favour of the NDA alliance, of which his party JD(S) is a part.
Thanking voters, state BJP chief BJP Vijayendra said: "It is our unwavering belief that your support for the security and development of India, will give strength for the Modi-led government to come to power once again in the country."
Long queues were seen at polling booths since 7 am.
Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, Kumaraswamy and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also exercised their franchise.
