Cops beat man to death, police claim he drowned

LUCKNOW: A 42-year-old man, booked for manufacturing spurious liquor, was allegedly beaten to death by four constables of the Malihabad police station on Wednesday morning. The victim was identified as Kallu Pasi, a resident of Ghola village, Dular Mau locality in Malihabad police station area.
Enraged over the incident, villagers staged a road block demanding adequate compensation to the kin of the deceased and action against the four constables, identified as Sujit Verma, Akhilesh, Sukhraj and Subhash Chandra, posted at the Malihabad police station.
Police tried to cover up saying it was a case of drowning. Spokesperson of the Senior Superintendent of Police, quoting the Malihabad police, said that Kallu, an illegal manufacturer of liquor, while being chased by police, fell in a nullah and drowned.
According to reports, Kallu was nabbed by the police on September 8 along with two others for making illegal liquor. Since, it was a bailable offence, Kallu was released on bail from the police station, circle officer Rakesh Saxena told TOI.
According to Kallu' family members, around 8 AM on Wednesday, the four constables raided the field of Hamid where Kallu was making liquor along with his 11-year-old son Akash. Family members alleged that the cops demanded money despite his being released on bail two days back.
The cops allegedly started beating Kallu with lathis and rifle butt. Akash fled the spot and rushed to his village to inform about the police atrocity. Kallu rushed towards Behta Nullah, about 100 metres away from Hamid's field, but collapsed on the bank of the nullah at Kewal Haar village. The cops fled on noticing that Kallu was dead. Family members alleged that the cops wanted some money from Kallu to allow him to continue with his illegal trade. It was because of severe beating by the cops that Kallu died, his family members alleged.
Villagers kept Kallu's body on the main road and blocked it demanding action against the guilty cops and adequate compensation to the kin of the deceased. After over three hours the district administration accepted the demand and claimed that a compensation of Rs 1.20 lakh would be given to the kin Kallu.
Later, circle officer Rakesh Saxena confirmed that process to suspend the four constables had been initiated. An FIR in the matter would be registered after the post mortem report is received, the circle officer confirmed. Later, SSP RK Chaturvedi told TOI that the four constables had been suspended. He said the cops had gone to the spot where Kallu was manufacturing illegal liquor without informing any of the senior officials.