A 22 year old Dalit youth allegedly died by suicide after hanging himself inside a restroom at Patti police station in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district on Monday.
Taking serious note of the incident, Pratapgarh Superintendent of Police Deepak Bhuker suspended station house officer Anand Pal Singh and sub inspector Omkar Singh for alleged dereliction of duty.
The youth, identified as Arjun alias Shailesh, had been arrested in connection with a minor girl’s alleged abduction and was brought to the police station on Sunday. He was scheduled to be produced before a court on Monday.
Youth Found Hanging Inside Police Station
According to Additional SP Pratapgarh East Alok Kumar, Arjun went to the toilet on the police station premises and allegedly hanged himself.
“The accused went to the toilet on the police station premises on the pretext of relieving himself and hanged himself,” Kumar said.
Senior police officials, forensic experts and additional police personnel reached the station after being alerted and began an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.
Youth Had Faced Two Abduction Complaints
Police said the first FIR against Arjun was registered on July 11 after the brother of a 17 year old girl accused him of abducting her. The case was registered under Sections 137(2) and 87 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police later recovered the girl from Hyderabad. She reportedly told a court that she had left home after being scolded by family members. Police said no criminal case was established against Arjun following her statement.
However, the girl’s father filed another complaint on August 17, alleging that Arjun had abducted his daughter on August 16. A case was registered under Section 137(2) of the BNS.
Acting on the complaint, a Patti police team traced Arjun and the girl to Ghaziabad and brought them to the police station on Sunday.
The girl was subsequently sent to a one stop centre, while Arjun was kept in the investigation room.
Police said the investigation into the circumstances of his death is underway.
