Bengal: Arrested youth alleges police torture inside lock-up in Murshidabad

Kolkata, Aug 19 (IANS) A sub-inspector and a civic volunteer have been accused of brutally beating a person in the lock-up of Domkal police station.

According to sources, the police had arrested Sarwar Ansari, a resident of Naodapara village under Jalangi police station area, on charges of jute theft on Sunday night. He was allegedly beaten up in the lock-up of the police station on Monday.

According to police sources, residents of the Gokulchak area of Dhulauri panchayat under Domkal police station caught Sarwar and his accomplice, Firoz Sheikh, while they were stealing jute late on Sunday night. They found the stolen jute stored in the van of the duo.

The villagers tied the accused to an electric pole and beat them up, before informing the police about the incident. The police rescued the two and took them to the police station.

After taking him to the police station, Domkal police station sub-inspector Sujoy Sarkar allegedly beat Sarwar with a wooden rule in the lock-up.

After one rule was broken during the beating, the police officer brought a new rule and beat him again severely.

A civil volunteer named Babu, who was present there at that time, also attacked Sarwar with a rule.

After being beaten, Sarwar was taken to Domkal Sub-divisional Hospital for a physical examination on Monday night. That's when the beating came to light.

"The police severely beat me up in the lock-up. The sub-inspector and a civic volunteer used a wooden rule to beat me up," Sarwar told media persons.

However, the police have denied such allegations.

On Monday night, Additional Superintendent of Police (Lalbagh) of Murshidabad Police District, Raspreet Singh, said, "The allegations of beating him inside a lock-up are false. After catching the accused, the villagers had beaten them up. A case has been registered against two villagers in connection with the beating."

--IANS

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