A 13-year-old boy from Muzaffarnagar has allegedly lost vision in his left eye after being beaten while in police custody, his family said on Friday. The family has filed complaints with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), and district authorities, accusing the police of assault and intimidation.
According to the boy’s father, the family runs a chicken shop that had been closed for ten days. “On September 27, we reopened the shop. My son went to the nearby mosque and announced that the shop had reopened, and that chicken would be sold at ₹140 per kg since demand was low during Navratri,” he said. “Soon after, someone complained about the announcement, and a police van picked him up. We were informed by neighbours who saw it happen.”
CCTV footage from the area reportedly shows the boy being taken away by the police.
The father said that when he reached the police outpost, his son was behind bars with both feet tied. “Police told us it was a small issue and asked us to return after noon. When I came back, they said I had been fined under Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). My son had bruises all over his body and said he could no longer see properly,” he alleged.
He also claimed the police accused him of possessing a country-made pistol after finding a photo of one on his son’s phone. “It was just a picture saved from the Internet. My son later said police beat and videographed him until he admitted the weapon belonged to me,” the father said.
Medical reports from a local health centre noted that the boy had lost vision in one eye due to “trauma caused an hour ago.” He has now been referred to a hospital in Meerut for surgery.
In his written complaint, the father alleged: “My son was abducted, beaten severely at the Biralsi police outpost, and now has a serious eye injury. The inspector is threatening to jail me if I pursue the case.”
Responding to the allegations, Muzaffarnagar Superintendent of Police Sanjai Kumar said, “The matter has been brought to our notice. The boy made an announcement regarding chicken in the mosque, which hurt local sentiments. Our initial inquiry suggests he had a pre-existing eye condition and was receiving treatment for it for the past four years. The matter is being investigated.”
The local SHO said the fine against the father was imposed “to maintain peace in the area” under Section 173 of the BNSS.
