Seven Cops in Uttar Pradesh have been exonerated in connection with an alleged custodial death in Hapur district 2019, officers said on Saturday. The family members of Pradeep Tomar had alleged in an FIR that DSP Santosh Mishra, Pilkhuwa Station House Officer (SHO) Yogesh Baliyan, Sub-Inspector Ajab Singh, & four unnamed policemen had tortured the 35-year-old to death on the intervening night of Oct 13 & 14.
While Mishra was declared innocent the next month, the district police absolved the other accused in a final report filed in March.
“The final report in the case was filed in March & was accepted by the court shortly before they were ordered to stop functioning (due to the pandemic and lockdown). The allegations were found to be baseless & there was no evidence linking the actions of policemen to the death… the minor son of the deceased, who was a witness, & family members, recorded their statements in front of the magistrate, stating that the policemen were not involved,” said Hapur Superintendent of Police Sanjiv Suman.
Pradeep Tomar’s family members told the news agency that Tomar had left home in Pilkhuwa town on the evening of Oct 13, telling his wife Rajni that he was going to help his younger brother, whose motorcycle had a flat tyre. He took his eleven-year-old son along with him.
He died a few hours later in Police Custody. According to officials, he was called to the station by policemen, & detained in connection with the murder of his sister-in-law. Tomar’s son said his father was kicked, punched, hit with planks of wood, given electric shocks, & repeatedly pierced with a screwdriver by Cops.
However, the Police denied torturing Tomar, & alleged that his injuries were the result of a clash over an accident that occurred on the night he was called for questioning.
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SP Yashweer Singh had told the news agency that “A woman named Preeti was murdered in August, but she could not be identified then. Once identified, we found that her husband Digamber allegedly got her murdered with the help of a relative. Two people were hired for Rs 1.5 lakh, & Pradeep Tomar was allegedly supposed to pay them. He was married to Digamber’s sister”.
The official said the 35-year-old was taken to a local hospital, & then to a medical facility in Meerut after he said that he was not feeling well. Following his death, three policemen were initially suspended, & DSP Santosh Mishra was transferred to another circle.
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