Faridabad: Tensions prevailed in Badkali village of Punhana town in Haryana after a 21-year-old Muslim boy died allegedly due to police brutality. As per local reports, Junaid, a painter, died at his home after he was reportedly brutally beaten by Faridabad police in custody.
The villagers clashed with the police and set one of the police vehicles on fire while protesting with Junaid’s body on Hodal highway when Nuh police came to remove them and restore traffic, reported The Tribune.
Junaid’s family has alleged that he was illegally picked up and detained by Faridabad police and brutally beaten up in custody. The family also alleged that they had to bribe the police to get Junaid released.
Junaid’s uncle Suleman told The Tribune that Junaid’s brother got him home after paying Rs 70,000 to the police. “He was not well since and had swelling on his feet and injury in the back. We took treatment from a local doctor but he suddenly died owing to internal injuries,” he added.
The family first sat on a protest near their village but after getting no attention, the entire village then came to the highway and blocked it. It was when the Nuh police team came and asked them to vacate and the protestors went berserk and attacked the police.
The family claims that Junaid was going to a wedding in Rajasthan with five others in a car and was picked up from the border as one of the boys was found allegedly involved in an OLX fraud and was traced through his mobile.
Police claim that Junaid was detained for questioning on May 31 and let off on bail on June 1
“How can he die after 12 days? They are just creating a ruckus, trying to communalise the issue,” a senior police official was quoted by The Tribune as saying.
In another case of police brutality by Haryana police, a 52-year-old Mulsim man died on June 8 after he was tortured at Panipat’s Quila police station. Ayub Khan, who was taken into custody after his distant relative allegedly kidnapped a 22-year-old girl for marriage, died after he was tortured by the police officers and the girl’s family at the police station.