Agra sanitation worker death: After brief stop, Priyanka allowed to proceed to meet victim family

The worker, Arun Valmiki, was suspected to have stolen nearly Rs 25 lakh from a police station warehouse on Sunday. The police Tuesday arrived at his residence to look for the money. The worker allegedly died when the police officials were present. The police claim he “took ill” and was declared “brought dead” at a hospital.

On Wednesday, the police stopped Priyanka’s vehicle when it reached the first toll plaza on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway falling under the Para police station.

Police stop the car of Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi on her way to meet the family members of Arun Valmiki. (PTI)

The Agra police had requested the Lucknow police to stop Priyanka until the final rites of the man were completed.

Several Congress leaders and workers also reached the spot and held a protest at the plaza, throwing traffic out of gear. When Priyanka refused to leave the area, she along with other leaders were taken to the Lucknow reserve police lines and kept there.

The Lucknow police allowed Priyanka and other Congress leaders to proceed after their Agra counterparts informed them that the worker’s final rites had been completed.

She remained at the police lines for around an hour.

Lucknow police commissioner DK Thakur said Priyanka has been released.

Sources said she would leave for Agra later.

“An incident had come to light where money had been stolen from official premises. We questioned many people and one suspect was identified. The accused admitted to stealing the money and the police had gone to recover it when the accused fell ill. He was rushed to the hospital where he could not make it. Further investigation is pending,” said Muniraj G, SSP Agra.

The victim’s family has submitted a complaint. Members of the Valmiki community have also called for protests.

“Arun was being questioned by the police in connection with the Jagdishpura theft. The police were carrying out search and recovery when Arun fell ill and died when he was rushed to the hospital. He was questioned aggressively by the police which led to his death,” said the FIR filed against unknown accused at Jagdishpura for alleged murder.

“We have received the complaint and the allegations of the family will be looked into. The entire incident of search and recovery will be investigated and appropriate action will be taken accordingly,” said Rajiv Krishna, ADG Agra Zone.

Six police officials, including a station house officer, were suspended after Rs 25 lakh and pistols were stolen from the storage room of Jagdishpura Police Station on Sunday.

Priyanka’s visit to Agra to meet the family members of Arun Valmiki who allegedly died in police custody is part of the Congress’s aggressive and renewed Dalit outreach ahead of a series of Assembly elections. In Delhi, Rahul Gandhi attended a function at the AICC headquarters to mark Valmiki Jayanti.

Flagging off a Shobha yatra, Gandhi launched a veiled attack on the BJP government. He said Valmiki’s message was of love and brotherhood. “But today Valmiki’s message was under attack in India. Our Constitution was based on the ideology of Valmiki…What Valmiki had said …our people reflected it in the Constitution.”

“But today…the Constitution, Valmiki’s ideology and our Dalits brothers and sisters are under attack… It is clearly visible. The entire country knows that Dalits and weaker sections are facing attacks. A handful of people are getting all the benefits today and lakhs and lakhs of poor people, farmers, Dalits are being attacked, silenced, beaten and subjugated,” he said.

वाल्मीकि जी ने देश को एक रास्ता दिखाया था, उनका प्यार और भाईचारे का संदेश था, आज जब हम हिंदुस्तान को देखते हैं, तो वाल्मीकि जी के संदेश पर आक्रमण हो रहा है।

श्री @RahulGandhi जी वाल्मीकि जयंती के अवसर पर शोभा यात्रा को संबोधित करते हुए। #ValmikiJayanti pic.twitter.com/HOkiVm5amY

— Congress (@INCIndia) October 20, 2021

Gandhi said the Congress will stop the attacks and ensure that such attacks don’t happen.

“The more they try to break the country…the more we will try to unite. The more they spread hate, the more we will talk about brotherhood and amity,” he added.

The organisation of a Valmiki Jayanti event at the Congress headquarters and Gandhi’s presence there and Priyanka’s travel to Agra comes a month after the Congress appointed Charanjit Singh Channi as Punjab’s first Dalit chief minister.

– With inputs from Manoj CG