Vegetable vendor dies after being beaten up by two cops in Unnao

Done//ALVI
Kanpur: An 18-year-old vegetable vendor died after he was caught over charges of defying Covid-19 lockdown norms, and mercilessly beaten up by a police constable and a home guard in Bangarmau Kotwali police station in Unnao district on Friday.
The family members of Faisal, son of Mohd Islam of Bhatpuri locality of Bangarmau, alleged that he was severely beaten up by two policemen--Vijay Chaudhary (constable) and Satya Prakash (home guard) on Friday afternoon following which he succumbed to injuries.
Later, they staged a massive protest on Bangarmau-Lucknow road with the body demanding strict action against the guilty policemen besides suitable compensation to the victim’s family members.
Senior police officials rushed to the spot, and taking cognizance of the act, suspended both the police personnel with immediate effect.
“We have suspended the constable and the home guard. As of now, we are collecting evidence against the two, and if they are found guilty, we will book a case against them accordingly. I have asked ASP to conduct a probe and submit a report in this regard soon,” said SP Unnao Sureshrao A Kulkarni.
“We are in the process of shifting the body to the mortuary for post-mortem, and once the report comes, we will be able to ascertain the cause of death and the facts of the case can be highlighted,” the SP further said.
Around 2 pm on Friday, police constable Vijay Chaudhary and home guard Satya Prakash, posted at Bangarmau Kotwali police station of the district, had allegedly hit Faisal with a stick because he was found violating the lockdown norms by selling vegetables on footpath at the local vegetable market.
When Faisal resisted and tried to argue with the policemen, they took him into custody and brought him to Kotwali police station on their two-wheeler. At around 3:45 pm, Faisal’s family, waiting outside the Kotwali police station, came to know that his condition has deteriorated and he is experiencing severe pain in his chest.
The police along with the family members rushed him to a nearby Community Health Centre where doctors stated his condition to be critical, and advised them to take him to the district hospital or some other better health facility. “While they were preparing a referral letter, Faisal died,” said his family member Sufiyan while talking to reporters.
“We demand strict action against the guilty cops,” Sufiyan said.
The family members along with nearly hundreds of local residents blocked the Bangarmau-Lucknow road for a few hours. Senior police officers reached the spot and persuaded the family members to hand over the body for conducting a post-mortem examination.