A 55-year-old woman passed away on Monday, allegedly from a panic attack following a police raid in Bijnor district, Uttar Pradesh, on a tip that beef was being stored there. Nevertheless, during the procedure, no offensive material was discovered. The raid was carried out on the pretext of potentially breaking anti-cow slaughter rules in Uttar Pradesh, which forbids the killing of cows and the sale or transportation of beef.
According to a report by The Indian Express, the deceased, identified as Razia, was a resident of Khatai village. Her son, Nasim, alleged that the four police constables involved in the raid entered their house aggressively and misbehaved with the women present.
“They ransacked the household articles while we pleaded that we had not stored anything the government banned. My mother had a panic attack due to the police’s behavior. We rushed her to the local clinic, where the doctor pronounced her dead,” Nasim told the Indian Express.
The police raid was triggered by a call received through UP-112, a police emergency service, from a woman who reported cow slaughter at Naseem’s house, the Times of India reported.
Bijnor SP Abhishek Jha said, “A Police Response Vehicle (PRV) and local officers immediately reached the spot. No evidence of any cow being slaughtered was found at the house, and no objectionable object was recovered.”
“The body was sent to the district hospital for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death,” Jha said.
“The investigation revealed that the woman had been suffering from a respiratory disease for a long time and was undergoing regular treatment. Legal action will be taken as per rules against the person giving misleading information on UP-112.”
Following the incident, Superintendent of Police Abhishek Jha has ordered an inquiry into the raid and the role of the police informer.
“Necessary legal action will be taken against the informer for providing biased information to the police, and against the police officers if our probe finds them guilty,” Jha was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.
Meanwhile, the incident sparked controversy and outrage in the local community. While four police personnel involved in the raid were transferred to another station soon after the incident.
Nagina MLA Manoj Kumar Paras of the Samajwadi Party condemned the raid and led a delegation of local leaders and Muslim clerics to the SP office, demanding stricter action against the officers involved. He said that no one, regardless of caste or community, should be subjected to harassment by police of anti-social elements.
