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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4 held for sexually assaulting woman, girl on moving bus after social media alert in UP's Agra
Agra (UP) (PTI): Four people were arrested, after a prompt response by police following a social media alert, for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman and a girl inside a moving bus here, officials said on Tuesday.
According to an official police statement, at 12:27 am on April 27, information was received on the social media platform X about an incident of sexual assault on a bus travelling from Kanpur to Ahmedabad, which was approaching Namner crossing in Agra.
Acting under the direction of Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar, the Agra Police social media team immediately alerted the Rakabganj police station within minutes and coordinated with the victims to confirm the incident and obtain the exact location, it stated.
Police teams launched intensive checking at Namner crossing and intercepted the bus as it reached the spot. The four accused involved in the incident were apprehended on the spot, and legal action was initiated against them, the statement said.
The police said the swift response and coordination between the social media team and field units ensured timely action, bringing relief to the victims and other passengers, who expressed gratitude towards the police, it added.
