Following the death of a 35-year-old Dalit man who had been arrested for stealing in the Gonda region of Uttar Pradesh, three members of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) have been charged with murder. His family has accused him of being tortured in custody.
Sanjay Kumar Sonkar, the victim in the recent oil theft from a cargo train at Barua Chak railway station, was picked up from his home on Tuesday morning, according to officials. Sonkar was later taken by the RPF personnel to the government medical college, where he was declared dead upon arrival. Sub-inspectors Surendra Kumar and Karan Singh Yadav as well as constable Amit Kumar Yadav have been suspended, and a departmental investigation into the allegations of custodial death has been started, according to Senior Commandant RPF Chandra Mohan Mishra.
A murder complaint has been filed against the three, according to Sabhajeet Singh, Inspector (Crime) at the Gonda City Kotwali police station. Raju Sonkar, the victim’s brother, filed a complaint claiming that the RPF men abducted Sanjay from his home and subjected him to torture while he was being held. Later, the family found out that Sanjay had passed away and that his body was in the hospital.
According to Singh, the attending physician’s early medical report stated that Sanjay was transported to the hospital dead. He claimed that the RPF team discovered a video during their investigation that showed three men hiding in an adjacent sugarcane field while stealing oil off the train. According to Mishra, the RPF squad apprehended one of the suspects who revealed Sanjay’s identity based on hints. He stated that the oil was found in Sanjay’s possession the same day when the staff picked him up. According to Mishra, the accused’s health worsened during the recuperation process, and he was taken to the hospital where he passed away.
According to Mishra, the three employees have been sent to the RPF Lines, and additional action would be taken in response to the results of the police inquiry.
Circle Officer (CO), City, Gonda, Anand Kumar Rai said the autopsy report stated that the “cause of death is not ascertained”. Doctors have preserved the viscera for forensic tests to investigate the cause further, the CO added. He claimed there were no injury marks on the body, except one or two abrasions, which could not have led to the death.
